Govt ‘has never, will never’ harm HK people: Carrie Lam
The Hong Kong government has never and will never do anything that harms the overall interests of Hong Kong people, the city’s top official stressed on Tuesday.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor urged “pan-democrats” in the legislature to stop politicizing the debate on amending the Legislative Council’s Rules of Procedure.
Lam was responding to opposition lawmakers’ allegation that LegCo rule changes would usurp their power to “prevent the government from putting forward something that may hurt people’s interest”.
She thought it is “totally inappropriate” to use such an excuse to resist the ruleamendment debate.
“I have served the government for 37 years. No matter in the current term or previous terms… the Hong Kong government has not and will never do anything that hurts the Hong Kong people,” Lam said.
She hoped the polarized LegCo could settle differences as soon as possible so it can start to work on the government’s submissions that are lining up for deliberation.
Also commenting on disagreements among LegCo members over the revision of procedural rules, Henry Tang Ying-yen, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee — the country’s top political advisory body — said it was not positive if opposition lawmakers keep fighting against the government. He hoped LegCo could serve people’s well-being corporately.
Tang, also chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, said the LegCo operation had been chaotic and grim in the past few years. He said funding for the cultural district has been impeded as a result and the authority has to seek ways to make up for the loss.
He condemned the filibustering
The Hong Kong government has not and will never do anything that hurts the Hong Kong people.”
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor
Inside tactics, which delayed Hong Kong’s economic and livelihood development. He said past rule abuses had led to calls for amendments and hoped the changes could have some deterrent effect.
Dealing with the chaotic situation at last week’s meeting of the legislature, LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen announced on Tuesday that the LegCo Commission would give “pan-democratic” lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung a warning letter for obstructing LegCo security staff from executing the president’s order to carry protesting legislators back to their seats.
Leung, also chairman of the LegCo Commission, said the security level in the legislature will be raised from Wednesday’s LegCo meeting as protests against rule-book amendments had increased the risk level.
Last week’s LegCo meetings were suspended three times because of disputes and opposition lawmakers’ protests against the proposed rule-amendment resolution, which were tabled by pro-establishment lawmakers to curb filibustering in the city’s legislature.
Leung hoped the rule revision could be finished before Christmas. The “pan-democrats” have vowed to step up objections by calling on activists to camp outside the LegCo Complex since Monday.