Shame on Donald Tsang
Democracy in Asian countries works as long as the economy is booming. The number of dissenting voices is generally kept to a minimum as people enjoy the lifestyle that comes with economic prosperity, and the various governments have a fairly easy ride legislating the lives of their citizens. It works less well when the economic situation isn’t as rosy and its often those without voices or lesser rights that are affected.
So, shame on Donald Tsang and his government for its latest proposed levy on the Hong Kong’s domestic helpers. A proposal to suspend the monthly fee that employers have to pay to employ domestic is being suspended in the name of reducing inflation. Sounds good except that it doesn’t apply to all the domestic workers employed already, only to maids that are newly employed after Sept. 1.
I am relatively sure that Hong Kong employers of domestic maids wouldn’t be as callous to terminate their maids to save on HKD400, barely the cost of a good night out (while your maid cleans up at home). I have faith in human beings to do the right thing.
Of course, it’s hard to do the right thing when Donald Tsang waves a big waiver like HKD400 in front of inflation-hit Hong Kongers. Really, he should be ashamed to be targeting a group that has barely enough rights to qualify out of the category of slave labour.
Perhaps Hong Kong should remember that much of its prosperity is owed to the backs of those less privileged looking after their children and households while they could double their earning power by having two parents working and being able to extend their working hours to ridiculously late.
