Political wrangling major reason for HK brain drain

Frequent political wrangling in Hong Kong in recent years was one of the major reasons why the city has become less attractive to global talents, political leaders said on Wednesday.

The remarks came after the latest IMD World Talent Ranking ranks Hong Kong the 18th on attractiveness to talents. The city’s ranking has dropped six places compared with that of last year.

Hong Kong legislator Ma Fung-kwok attributed the city’s declining attractiveness to political disputes experienced in recent years. He explained that political disputes had undermined social stability. Foreign professionals and academics may have second thoughts when choosing to work in Hong Kong when this happens, he added.

Hong Kong has witnessed several political disturbances in recent years. These include the 79-day illegal “Occupy Central” movement in 2014, which brought the city to a standstill; the Mong Kok riot in 2016, when over 100 people were injured; and the Legislative Council swearing-in fiasco in which separatist lawmakers-elect use foul language to insult the Chinese nation.

Brave Chan Yung, a Hong Kong deputy to National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, said this decline is due partly to the conduct of opposition lawmakers in the legislature.

He noted that legislators from the opposition camp had slandered the government in an irrational way. They had staged filibusters in the Legislative Council which had slowed down the city’s development. All these had damaged Hong Kong’s international image.

Official data show that in the 520 hours of council meetings of 2017-18 legislative year, 54 hours was wasted by 222 quorum bells and two adjournments due to a lack of quorum.

Chan also said some academics at local universities had supported illegal political movements. They had also encouraged students to participate in the “Occupy” movement and Mong Kok riot.

They were not concentrating enough on teaching and scientific research, let alone academic work or attracting more talents, he said.

Legislator Lo Wai-kwok echoed Chan’s views. He thought opposition lawmakers’ “blind” objections to any government proposals created a “pan-political” atmosphere in Hong Kong.

Skilled people expect to work in a relatively stable and harmonious society, Lo said. The contentious environment in Hong Kong was no doubt a negative factor for them, he said.

Lo, who is also the chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, said very high housing prices and the small living space might also affect people’s willingness to work and live here.

The latest IMD World Talent Ranking for 2018 was released by IMD World Competitiveness Center in Switzerland. Since 2013, the report assessed 63 economies under three main areas — investment and development, appeal and preparedness.