Inclusivity is key to Hong Kong’s success
Before taking office as chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu met with leaders from the city’s ethnic minority groups, emerging from one such session saying that Hong Kong’s success depended on diversity, and that he welcomed their suggestions on how to better integrate minorities into society. While this critical work is ongoing, recent reports suggest there is still a long way to go to break down discriminatory barriers.
In one alarming case, police arrested a man in April for vandalism and nuisance-related acts targeting ethnic minority households in a housing estate. Mufti Muhammad Arshad, the city’s chief imam, condemned the incidents but said it was likely an individual case. That he had to address it at all is saddening, and a glaring admission that discrimination in its worst forms still troubles Hong Kong.
Another was the results of a survey of 509 people aged 16 to 25 that found that 82 per cent of ethnic minority respondents were unable to find internships in Hong Kong. The NGO KELY Support Group urged the government to do more to develop job opportunities for young minorities, arguing rightly that companies could benefit from diverse cultural backgrounds and talent. Jobseekers young and old count the language barrier as a major challenge. The survey found just 17 per cent of respondents spoke Cantonese as a first language and 15 per cent as a second. Many end up doing low-skilled work as a result.
Cindy Ng Tsz-man, a KELY senior manager, said schools fail to provide enough resources and education for ethnic minorities to explore career opportunities and they lack mentors to help navigate career choices. A separate survey said only 10 per cent of ethnic minority pupils secured a government-funded spot in university versus 25 per cent for Chinese speakers. Census figures from 2021 said 301,344 people were from ethnic minority communities, excluding helpers. The NGOs cannot do it all by themselves. Providing better education on inclusivity can help bring down barriers. Lee pledged to enhance support in education, jobs, welfare and integration for minorities in his latest policy address. His administration must keep up with the work they started, reduce obstacles and create avenues for minorities in the city to succeed.