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these handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're
looking for. 1.
IN Leaps and Bounds 2.
Slice of Life from the South China Morning Post this
week in 1953 3.
Cordless phones on trail of mobiles 4.
Airport quiet as travellers skirt HK 5.
Ongoing tests fail to unmask mystery bug 6.
Reports of deadly epidemic' ring out through global
media 7.
Political activists file complaint to the ICAC 8.
Business community fears loss of credibility 9.
Top team cannot afford doubts about the integrity of
its members 10.
Lawmakers demand the details of Exco session 11.
From early meetings to a public apology . . . how
events unfolded 12.
Cartoon 13.
Incomplete account of digital certificates
1. IN Leaps and Bounds
SCMP,
18 March 2003 
2. Slice of Life from the South China Morning Post this week in 1953
SCMP,
18 March 2003 Airlines
were beginning to jostle cruise liner for advertising space. Qantas Empire Airlines'
proud boast was that you could Fly the Fastest Route by Qantas to Sunny Australia.
It was "less than two days away" by regular Skymaster Service. Pan Am
promised to fly you via Tokyo to the US six hours faster than ever before. Sleeperette
service was no extra charge, berths were available at slight additional cost and
there was the added carrot of magnificent meals and complimentary wine. The
colony was just getting used to the new age of rapid transport. In his talk to
the Armchair Group of the European YMCA, Inspector Moor of the Traffic Department
was dispensing sound advice: Look to your right, look to your left, look to your
right again and then cross the road without running.
3. Cordless phones on trail of mobiles
DEUTSCHE
PRESSE-AGENTUR in Hanover, SCMP 18 March 2003 Mobile
phones have set the bar - the newest generation of cordless telephones for home
use are not only smaller than their predecessors but have also taken on many of
the functions normally associated with mobile phones. ''This
includes sending and receiving SMS messages over the fixed-line network,'' explained
Peter Knaak from the European consumer organisation Stiftung Warentest. Other
possibilities include SIM-card adapters to download phone numbers from a mobile
phone to the cordless handset. Although
they have been available since the 1980s, cordless phones are only now exerting
real dominance in the home market. ''Consumers
are increasingly reaching for cordless telephones,'' said Roland Huenteler, product
manager at telecommunications equipment company DeTeWe. Jan
Boettcher of Panasonic agrees. He sees an ever-increasing demand for devices that
work with the new Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) transmission
standard. The
cordless boom can be attributed to a drop in prices - basic models can now be
had for about US$60 - and improved signal technology. The
DECT standard is remarkable for its eavesdropping protection, high conversation
quality and the possibility to tie various cordless devices to a private telephone
set-up. ''Down
the road, more and more DECT products will find their way into the lower price
range, which will further marginalise analogue cordless phones,'' Mr Boettcher
said. In theory,
linking up multiple cordless telephones to a single private telephone plug should
work, even if the phones are from different manufacturers. Stiftung Warentest
had trouble making this work in practice. ''Receiving
calls worked, but the base station refused to work with phones from different
brands for special functions such as automated answering,'' said Mr Knaak. He
is sceptical about the practicality of newer models and their ever-increasing
palette of functions. ''Cordless
telephones are still primarily used to make phone calls. Important buttons such
as the one to hang up should be large, distinctively coloured and well positioned
for use,'' Mr Knaak said. Since
the differences in use are often significant, he suggests that customers hold
the devices in their hands at least once before making a purchase. Mr
Knaak also recommends phones with a good address book function and a large display
capable of showing the caller's identity. He said many of even the newest devices
suffered from the same flaw as their predecessors - poor battery life. ''Our
experience shows that the standard issue nickel-cadmium batteries give up the
ghost just as quickly as other batteries, and that supposedly fully charged handsets
often turn off after just a few minutes of conversation,'' Mr Knaak said. High-end
models from Siemens, Philips, Panasonic, and Audioline come from the factory with
NiMH (Nickel metal hydride) batteries. The DeTeWe models on display at the CeBIT
technology fair this month came with traditional, less effective Nickel Cadmium
(NiCD) batteries, as do the low- and middle-of-the-road models from other major
manufacturers. Many
manufacturers have added cordless data transmission to the basic functions of
their DECT models. DeTeWe,
for example, plans to present an ISDN box at the CeBIT fair that will transmit
roughly 60 kilobits per second from a notebook computer to the base station. Consumers
can telephone at the same time. Panasonic
plans to offer a cordless telephone that has its own connection port. This will
allow a notebook computer user to keep connected with the Internet cordlessly
while out on the terrace.
4. Airport quiet as travellers skirt HK
CHOW
CHUNG-YAN, SCMP 18 March 2003 Chek
Lap Kok airport was eerily quiet and tense yesterday as many travellers avoided
Hong Kong - and those who had to come here arrived wearing protective masks to
guard against the pneumonia outbreak. Many
said they would not have come to Hong Kong if they had any choice and would keep
their masks on as they ventured out into densely populated parts of the city.
Visitors from
Taiwan and Singapore were particularly nervous after their governments issued
public warnings to anyone planning to visit Hong Kong. Accountant
Echo Chen, from Taipei, said she would only stay three hours in Hong Kong before
heading to the mainland. She brought a protective mask with her just for this
short stop-over. "Of course I'm worried. I have seen on TV many people here
have caught pneumonia. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't have come
to Hong Kong at all,'' she said. Fellow
Taiwanese Natalia Chen said two thirds of the passengers on board her flight had
brought protective masks with them. "Immediately
after the plane landed, people started to put on their masks,'' said Ms Chen.
"Our health
department has issued a warning telling people not to come here. I hear dozens
of people have already died from pneumonia, haven't they? "I
will leave Hong Kong immediately after I finished my business,'' she said. "I
will go everywhere with my mask on.'' Chen
Xiu-yu, one of the few Taiwanese visitors arriving here on a holiday, said her
family in Taiwan was nervous and would not allow her to come without a mask. "I
don't want to wear it but my husband insists. He even called me from Taipei to
check if I have the mask on.'' The
atmosphere at the airport was calm but tense yesterday. Many airlines have demanded
their port managers report passengers with flu-like symptoms after a World Health
Organisation warning to the Airport Authority. Even visitors who did not arrive
with masks said they were afraid. "I am a bit worried. I will keep away from
the crowds'' said Danish businessman Klaus Kristensen. But
some visitors dismissed the fear as media hype. Taiwanese Chen Wai-ne, who arrived
at the airport with his family , took off his mask. "I think Taiwan's media
is exaggerating a little," he said.
5. Ongoing tests fail to unmask mystery bug
MARY
ANN BENITEZ, SCMP 18 March 2003 Since
one Hong Kong man fell ill early this month at Prince of Wales Hospital, the mystery
pneumonia bug has infected 95 people - half of them hospital staff at four hospitals.
The bug is so
infectious that 23 of the man's close relatives and contacts also have come down
with the disease. The same mystery pneumonia sickened 305 people in Guangdong,
killing five by its peak in mid-February. In Hanoi, an American-Chinese businessman
infected at least 32 staff members. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO)
admitted as much, a common link is being investigated in the three initial outbreaks.
That common link might be the infectious agent. Laboratories in at least five
countries have failed to detect any known infectious agent as a cause of the illness.
What is known is that it is probably a virus, and is spread by droplets - such
as when someone sneezes or coughs - and is not airborne. Secretary
for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong said: "One school of thought
is that this may be a new virus . . . that originated somewhere else but was brought
here and changed its behaviour, or it could be a virus that in its place of origin
was not causing problems." Dr
Yeoh, who is chairing an inter-departmental taskforce investigating the outbreak,
said: "We do not know about its origin, we do not know about its extent."
Chinese University's microbiology professor John Tam Siu-lun said a variety of
tests had been run to identify the infectious agent. "We are exhausting all
the tests, like flu viruses, all types of bacteria like chlamydia . . . but still
we have no results." A
report provided to the WHO on the Guangdong pneumonia outbreak, which peaked last
month, said most of the 305 infected people were young adults, with medical staff
having a higher incidence rate. The
fever was persistent, with most patients experiencing a dry cough, and sputum
was often tinged with blood. "The
progress of the disease is rapid. It is very serious for a few patients, especially
for the first case and the cases who were co-infected with bacteria and other
pathogens," the report said. The infection seemed to become weaker as it
passed from one person to the next. Most were cured after treatment, the report
said.
6. Reports of deadly epidemic' ring out through global media
SCMP,
18 March 2003 AUSTRALIA
The Sydney Morning
Herald Isolation
plan if deadly Asian epidemic hits Australia - Health authorities have moved quickly
to establish isolation and treatment plans if an Asian epidemic of a fast-acting
and potentially deadly flu-like illness arrives in Australia. The
Australian Killer
disease sweeps globe - Australians recently in Asia are being warned to see a
doctor if they develop flu-like symptoms as authorities scramble to fight an outbreak
of a killer pneumonia that has claimed nine lives and put scores of people in
hospital in eight countries. GERMANY
Die Welt Fear
over mystery pneumonia - Passenger from Singapore remains in isolation in Frankfurt.
Several die in Asia. SINGAPORE
The Strait Times
Mystery flu puts
four more people here in hospital - Four more people here were warded yesterday
with the mystery respiratory illness, which has left at least nine dead worldwide
and continues to spread around the globe, aided by international air travel. A
total of 20 people here are now down with severe acute respiratory syndrome or
Sars, as the disease is now named. BRITAIN
The Times
Airline
passengers spread mystery killer bug - British doctors have been told to look
out for the flu-like symptoms and guidance is being prepared for hospitals to
treat patients in isolation. The
Sun Alert as
9 die of jet virus - British air travellers have been warned a killer pneumonia
bug is spreading worldwide - and cannot be stopped by drugs. Nine people have
died so far and at least 500 others have been infected. UNITED
STATES The Washington
Post Outbreak
originated in China - Illness peaked a month ago; Official media silent - The
deadly pneumonia-like illness that was the subject of a World Health Organisation
warning originated in southern China in November and peaked a month ago. The
New York Times China
provides information on deadly health threat - Health officials gave the WHO the
first, sketchy details about a mysterious respiratory ailment believed to have
broken out in Guangdong province.
7. Political activists file complaint to the ICAC
LOUISA
YAN, SCMP 18 March 2003 Several
political activists filed a complaint to the Independent Commission Against Corruption
(ICAC) yesterday, accusing the financial secretary of abusing his power for his
own gain in the car-buying controversy. One
day after a police inspector filed a high-profile complaint to the anti-graft
body, a group of political activists, including "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung,
Tsang Kin-shing and Frontier member Andrew To Kwan-hang, went to the ICAC headquarters
in Admiralty, asking the commission to carry out an independent and in-depth investigation
into the controversy. A
spokeswoman for the ICAC confirmed that a number of complaints had been received.
Refusing to comment further on the matter, she said the commission would investigate
it through normal procedures. Mr
Tsang said while he believed Mr Leung had abused his power for personal gain,
other officials who handled the matter should also be investigated. "People
who are believed to be involved in handling the matter are also in the complaint,
such as some Executive Council members and government officials," he said.
He refused to reveal any names in the complaint. "I
have specifically asked the commission to make sure that the investigation is
fair and independent. If the financial secretary was really involved in any kind
of wrongdoing, I hope they would set up a taskforce to take care of the matter,"
he said. Frontier
district councillor Mr To said he believed the financial secretary had broken
the law. He said he was not happy about the way the government had handled the
matter. "The
chief executive's open letter [to the financial secretary] on Saturday showed
that Antony Leung had actively taken part in the discussion about increasing tax
for vehicle registration in October last year. It is not just a matter of a conflict
of interest, but also an abuse of power."
8. Business community fears loss of credibility
JOSEPH
LO, SCMP 18 March 2003 The
car-buying controversy is spiralling into political disaster for the government,
observers in the business community believe. The
furore was diverting attention away from more critical issues, such as whether
the latest Budget had sufficient depth to tackle Hong Kong's economic problems,
they said. Observers
said they were worried that international investors would overlook Hong Kong and
choose to invest elsewhere. "Credibility
is of high importance to most investors. And this is certainly detracting from
our credibility," said one locally-based US businessman. Kim
Eng Securities head of research Stephen Brown agreed. "Who
cares about the car? [But] on a deeper level, this issue has spiralled. By saying
that Leung was 'grossly negligent' in buying the car but not firing him, Tung
has set a poor precedent," Mr Brown said. "Quite
obviously, Leung is not negligent but grossly inept. Negligence is something that
has to revolve around doing your job poorly. [In making the wrong choice of words]
Tung has created a monster by accident. "Leung
will probably have to resign. He has no credibility in tackling the deficit or
in talking about the peg. Look at Alan Greenspan, he's got more money than Leung
but he's conservative and boring, which is what the business community likes,"
Mr Brown said. Last
week, Standard & Poor's said that, while the uproar over whether Mr Leung
avoided paying taxes on his new car was a "minor affair", it was an
example of a loss of cohesion in government policy, due to the administration's
new ministerial system. The
new system's delegation of responsibility across the various porfolios meant decision-making
was being done by many officials who lacked experience, it said.
9. Top team cannot afford doubts about the integrity of its members
ANALYSIS
by CHRIS YEUNG, SCMP 18 March 2003 The
financial secretary was atypically economical in his response to a Legco grilling
on the car-buying controversy. He should realise his insistence of "negligence"
is indefensible and inconceivable - by any standards. Battered
by legislators' harsh words over his integrity and competence, Mr Leung was in
no mood to fight back. He would only reiterate that he had no intention of avoiding
tax, and that he hoped to serve the community wholeheartedly and strenuously.
Although more
details about the case were revealed, at the end of the day the new information
is unlikely to prove whether or not Mr Leung deliberately avoided the car registration
tax rise, or acted out of gloss negligence. Predictably,
sceptics cast more doubt about his integrity in the wake of unconfirmed press
reports about an Executive Council meeting on the morning of March 5 - hours before
he delivered his speech. It
was reported that two ministers immediately declared that they had recently purchased
vehicles after they were told of the car-tax increases. Citing
Exco's confidentiality rule, constitutional affairs chief Stephen Lam Sui-lung
yesterday refused to confirm or deny the reports. Mr Leung has confirmed he did
not declare his purchase at the meeting. If
the story of the two declarations is true, Mr Leung would find it hard to explain
why he had not woken up to the need to declare his purchase. That said, it is
equally hard to find any good reason why he would hide the truth at that stage.
These questions
will perhaps never be answered by anyone other than Mr Leung. Judging
from the composition of Legco and the inclination of members as evidenced from
yesterday's panel meeting, the government will have enough votes to veto any attempt
to set up an independent inquiry on the case. Government-friendly
legislators will argue in favour of giving the benefit of the doubt to Mr Leung,
and enable him to get on with his job. The
grim reality is that at a time of strong disapproval of its performance, the Tung
team cannot afford for the public to doubt the integrity of its members. Like
it or not, Mr Leung's record will no longer be whiter than white. The
car-purchase case will cause not just political embarrassment to the Tung administration.
It has already, and will continue to, inflict damage to the authority and credibility
of the ruling team. Politically
and practically, it is inconceivable how Mr Leung will be able to do his job with
his integrity and political competence in doubt.
10. Lawmakers demand the details of Exco session
KLAUDIA
LEE, SCMP 18 March 2003 Hong
Kong legislators yesterday urged the government to disclose what happened at an
Executive Council meeting on Budget day, amid suggestions that two ministers declared
they had bought new cars after learning that vehicle tax was to be increased.
Events at the
meeting are being seen as crucial when considering Antony Leung Kam-chung's claims
to have forgotten to make a similar declaration. Lawmakers
yesterday demanded that the government reveal the details of the Exco meeting
on March 5. While
refusing to reveal the information yesterday, the Secretary for Constitutional
Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung promised to present the legislators' requests to
the chief executive for consideration. But
Mr Lam did respond to suggestions that there had been a request, or attempt, to
revise the minutes of the meeting to protect Mr Leung, saying this had not been
the case. There
have been widespread media reports stating that two ministers declared car purchases
on March 5 after being told by Mr Leung about his plans to increase vehicle tax.
Secretary for
Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong is reported to have immediately declared
that he had ordered a car in January, but that it had not yet been delivered.
Mr Lam is also
said to have revealed that he bought a car, in November, and that it had been
in use since January. In
contrast, Mr Leung is said to have remained silent, not revealing that he too
had purchased a new car, in January. Speaking
in the Legislative Council yesterday, Mr Leung admitted he had not declared the
purchase at that meeting. But he refused to comment on whether the other two ministers
had declared their own purchases. Mr
Lam was also tight-lipped, facing a barrage of questions from legislators. The
Frontier lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing said: "There are other people who make
a declaration of interest. Why didn't Mr Leung make a declaration?" But
Mr Lam cited the principle of confidentiality for Exco meetings, saying only that
the financial secretary could "reveal his part" because he had been
given approval to do so by the chief executive. But
Mr Lam's answer drew criticism from legislators. Democratic Party legislator James
To Kun-sun said Mr Tung had been selective in giving such approval. "Is it
because there is something that he wants to hide?" he asked. Liberal
Party chairman, James Tien Pei-chun, who is also an Exco member, supported his
colleagues' demand for the government to disclose details of the Exco meeting.
"They should disclose the details regarding the issue of the first registration
tax, so that people can get a clear picture," Mr Tien said. The
chief executive was also urged yesterday to make public the two reports written
by Mr Leung explaining the incident on March 10 and 13. While
saying the information about the chronology of the incident delivered to the legislators
was a summary of the two reports, Mr Lam promised to seek Mr Tung's approval to
see whether the reports could be sent to them. Ma
Ngok, associate professor of the University of Science and Technology, said Mr
Leung should have been aware of the possible conflict of interest in the first
place. "Especially he had worked in a US bank for so many years and US banks
are very concerned about conflicts of interest," Professor Ma said. While
saying the incident had already damaged Hong Kong's international image, he said
the accountability system had been adversely affected by it because the government
kept protecting him. "As
people become doubtful about his credibility, the damage has already been done,"
Professor Ma said. "It's
high time that the chief executive reconsidered accepting his resignation,"
he added.
11. From early meetings to a public apology . . . how events unfolded
KLAUDIA
LEE, SCMP 18 March 2003 Antony
Leung's version of events and the timing of the Budget Strategy Group discussions
on the tax for new vehicles. July
30, 2002: Preliminary meeting of Budget Strategy Group (BSG) considers items of
revenue, including first registration tax for motor vehicles. October
31: BSG discusses proposed changes to the vehicle tax regime, including increasing
the rate for more expensive cars. End
of December: Mr Leung and his pregnant wife decide to buy a new saloon car, believing
his Porsche coupe and Toyota jeep would not be suitable for a newborn baby. January
4 and 5, 2003: The couple visits showrooms to look at Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus
cars. January
11: The couple test drives a Lexus ES300. January
14: BSG considers that the size of the increase in first registration tax for
vehicles should be reviewed further. January
18: Mr Leung and his wife test drive a Lexus LS430 at a Crown Motors showroom
and like the model. Salesman tells them the company is offering a $50,000 discount
on the listed price of $728,000. January
20: Mr Leung signs an order form and pays a deposit of $80,000 by cheque. January
23: The car is registered in Mr Leung's name. January
25: It is delivered to Mr Leung's residence. February
11: BSG agrees to adopt a more progressive tax system for private cars. February
28: The revenue measures to be included in the Budget are settled. March
5: Budget Day. First registration tax increase implemented. March
8: Mr Leung is informed of a press inquiry about his purchase of the car. Tells
his press secretary to respond by confirming the purchase. He telephones the car
salesman to check on the price before and after the tax increase, and is informed
the difference was roughly $50,000. Gives this information to press secretary.
March 9: Mr Leung
reads a newspaper article about the purchase. He calls his administrative assistant
to seek information about the decision dates on the proposed vehicle tax increase.
He is told two papers on the tax were discussed by the BSG around October and
February. Mr Leung calls the chief executive and tells him he had no intention
to avoid tax. Mr
Leung speaks to the media and offers to donate $100,000 to charity, double what
he believed to be the difference in tax. He later learns the difference was $190,000.
March 10: Mr
Leung decides to increase his donation to charity to $380,000 and posts a cheque
to the Community Chest. He expresses his regret over the matter to Tung Chee-hwa
and offers to resign if necessary. Mr Tung speaks to the media. Mr Leung decides
to formally tender his resignation. He then provides Mr Tung with a written report
of events and later tells the media he accepts the chief executive's criticism.
March 11: He
reviews the matter further and realises, for the first time, there had been a
BSG meeting dealing with the vehicle tax on January 14, which had not been mentioned
in his report. Calls chief executive to tell him. March
15: Mr Leung receives a letter from Mr Tung saying the mistake warranted a formal
criticism, but not resignation. Mr Leung withdraws his offer to resign. He makes
a public apology.
12. Cartoon
SCMP,
18 March 2003 
13. Incomplete account of digital certificates
SCMP,
18 March 2003 I
refer to the Forum article headline "E-commerce growth in HK under threat
from tax bill" written by Alan Dyer (Technology section, March 4), which
suggested that the government's proposals to allow citizens to submit their tax
returns using number passwords instead of digital certificates was a big step
backward for e-commerce and consumers. Unfortunately,
the article presented a very biased picture of the issue, neglecting several key
elements. The
article made several implicit assumptions, which were that: -
digital certificates are safe;
- digital certificates can be used by all citizens;
-
digital certificates would have been a success if they had just been promoted;
and
- information technology experts know better than citizens what is best
for them. Unfortunately,
all these assumptions are highly questionable. At
present, I cannot obtain a digital certificate in a safe manner, because Hongkong
Post has restricted this option to people paying a Microsoft tax (that is, running
variant of the Windows operating system). For
all other citizens, you must trust Hongkong Post to generate the certificate on
you behalf, which is a massive security hole. If
I visit the ESDLife Web site, it informs me that access to government services
requires Pentium-compatible hardware. Strictly speaking, this is not correct,
but many of the services have been designed in such a way as to require Microsoft
Windows and Internet Explorer for full support, because of how they have implemented
digital certificate support and Cantonese support. I
originally applied for a digital certificate, but did not complete the process
because I am not prepared to give up my security rights simply because Hongkong
Post refuses to support citizens who do not wish to pay a tax to Microsoft. I
would also note that I believe that allowing Hongkong Post to be the monopoly
provider of digital certificates is also an unnecessary security flaw. These
are not new issues, and I raised them with the former secretary for the information
technology and broadcasting bureau and with Hongkong Post several years ago, but
there has been no progress that I can see. As
for Smart ID cards, I note that the government's internal implementation of digital
certificates on smart card requires the use of - yes, you guessed it - Microsoft
windows. I will
be very pleased and surprised if this problem is fixed for Smart ID cards. In
short, allowing me (as a tax-paying citizen) to access more efficient services,
without having to put up with the obvious problems of the current implementation
of digital certificates in Hong Kong, is a great step forward. I salute the government
for finally paying attention to needs, and not the whining IT "experts"
who seem to want to tell us that we cannot choose a "less secure" option. Mr
dyer is welcome to use digital certificates if he wishes, but he had no right
to tell me what I must do. As
a citizen, I should be able to choose a secure and efficient operation system
for my computer, and not be required to use Microsoft Windows. Dr.
John Bacon-Shone, Director, Social Sciences Research Centre, The University of
Hong Kong.
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