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1. Chief of security crew disappears with $2.1m cash

2. Your Sars questions answered

3. S*A*R with Tom Hilditch

4. Close to Home

5. Donations declared tax-deductible

6. Private tunnel groups puzzled by government stance

7. The Hot Spots

8. Popularity of Tung hits a new low

9. Wheeler

10. Food for thought offered amid thoughts of food

11. Heritage site to be released for preservation tender next year

12. Cartoon

1. Chief of security crew disappears with $2.1m cash
PETER MICHAEL and CLIFFORD LO, SCMP 30 April 2003

The commander of an armoured-van security crew disappeared together with $2.1 million in cash at the end of his night shift yesterday.

The 45-year-old father of two, who has worked for security firm Securicor for 10 years, is believed to have fled to the mainland with his family. Police found the family had disappeared without a trace when they raided their Tuen Mun home.

Inside line on security breaches

March 3: Father-of-two Chan Wai-leung, 42, is hacked to death by a gang of robbers who flee with a cashbox containing $800,000. The unarmed Securicor guard was stabbed as he stepped out of a car park lift after collecting the cash box from a Jockey Club betting centre in Kwai Chung.

July 13, 1999: A security guard who stole $1 million turns himself in after a three-year gambling spree on the mainland. Former Guardforce guard Chu Wai-keung is jailed for three years and four months.

June 27, 1995: Bank officials and a security firm are at a loss to explain the disappearance of $3.75 million from a van delivering cash to Hong Kong Banks' main treasury. The next day, a supervisor and guard from the Guardforce cash van are arrested in connection with the case.

March 11, 1993: A security guard is found guilty of murdering two colleagues to prevent them identifying him as one of the robbers who held up an armoured van, making off with $1.2 million.

1991: A Guardforce van carrying $167 million was ambushed by three armed men outside Kai Tak airport in the biggest cash-in-transit robbery in Hong Kong.

2. Your Sars questions answered
DOCTOR MARGARET CHENG, SCMP 30 April 2003

Doctor Margaret Cheng is on hand to answer your queries on the atypical pneumonia outbreak. If you have any questions for her, e-mail them to mharris@netvigator.com. More questions will be answered in tomorrow's City section.

Q Do you think air purifiers are a good idea for offices? We have a small office with four people occupying around 600 sq ft of office space, with central air conditioning.

A The best thing you can do for your office is open the windows and allow fresh air to circulate, thus diluting any virus in the air to such low levels it is unable to infect you. If you are not able to open a window, demand that your building management explains why not, because they need to understand keeping windows closed is harmful to public health. I think an air purifier is a useful thing to have in an office as well because they filter out particles in the air, especially dust, pollen and pollutants which are irritating to the airways.

Q When there is a fatality from Sars, mention is made of whether the person had a chronic disease or not. However, it is not always mentioned what the chronic disease is. I am an asthmatic and I was wondering if there was any information about people with asthma being infected with Sars.

A Asthmatics, people with lung damage from smoking, past infections or chronic bronchitis are all less able to fight off the effects of Sars once it gets into the lungs. People with other chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, blood disorders, liver problems or multiple medical problems are all less able to fight off the infection and cope with the high doses of medication needed to kill the virus. So for these reasons, they have a lower survival rate. The best thing you can do for yourself is to avoid infection by being meticulous about your personal hygiene, including hand washing and keeping your home and office well-ventilated. Walk as much as you can instead of taking public transport. And if you can, take the stairs rather than a lift, do so. Whatever you do, don't delay getting medical treatment - in hospital if needed - if your asthma deteriorates. Those who have recovered from Sars got treatment early. The worst thing you can do for asthma or for Sars is to delay getting treatment.

Q My 19-month-old daughter is enrolled at Gymbaroo, an activity centre for toddlers. In her class, about 10 to 14 toddlers, plus their parents or guardians, get together to play, dance and do other fun activities together. The centre provides rattles, balloons, balls and the like for the children. There is also a circuit room, with balance beams, slides and other indoor playground equipment. This all takes place in a 2,500 sq ft air-conditioned room. The centre has reopened its doors this week after suspending classes for two weeks. Is it safe to send my daughter back?

A My feeling is that, as long as we are all really committed to keeping our hands and our children's hands clean, and keeping our environments clean, we should be able to resume normal lives. In fact, for our mental health and general wellbeing I think it is crucial we all do try to get some normality in our lives. We've had a warning, a very serious warning, that we are too dirty and live in poorly managed, overcrowded spaces. Now is the time to take heed of it and act on it. But now is also the time to start using what we have learned to make our lives better and safer. So, yes, take your little girl back to Gymbaroo and enjoy yourselves. But make sure you are satisfied that it is as clean and well-managed as your own living room and that none of the other kids are coughing or sneezing. If they are, you should give it a miss. And give your daughter's hands a good clean with a hand-wipe as often as you can.

3. S*A*R with Tom Hilditch
SCMP, 30 April 2003

I Love HK but I wish ¡K.
¡P it would stop taking our breath away and get back to being the City of Life. (Cornelius)

You and your mask

(or, what your mask says about you)

Sent in by an unknown reader . . .

White mask: You're a no-nonsense type. You probably wear white undies too.

Blue mask: Fatalist. You expect to get Sars but hope the government rebate comes first.

Green: You want to be one of the crowd. You wear your mask because that's what everyone else is doing.

Pink: Eternal optimist. (The hospitals are half empty, not half full.)

Yellow: Passive-aggressive. You wear a mask because your spouse told you to.

N95: Paranoid. Sars was unleashed by the Iraqis.

Black: You're Nicholas Tse Ting-fung.

Surgical masks with long ties: A definite fashion faux pas. Looks like Little Bo Peep.

Burberry plaid: Noblesse oblige.

No mask: Rebel without life insurance. You like to live life on the edge.

4. Close to Home
SCMP, 30 April 2003

5. Donations declared tax-deductible
SCMP, 30 April 2003

Donations to Project Shield were declared tax-deductible yesterday, giving a boost to the campaign to help Hong Kong's frontline medical workers. Supporters in Hong Kong and around the world have donated more than $8.4 million over the past five days.

Donors from Paris, Bangkok, the United States, Japan and the mainland were among the 1,076 people who yesterday pledged a whopping $2,406,330, taking the total to $8,452,479.

With readers and corporate donors having given enough money to buy more than 330,000 protective suits, the South China Morning Post has been working with the Hospital Authority to identify other items urgently needed by medical staff battling the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).

The Inland Revenue Department yesterday declared that all contributors to the appeal will be exempt from paying tax in Hong Kong on their donations.

The Post yesterday placed an order for 100,000 Barrierman suits from manufacturer DuPont. They will be flown in from Japan by Cathay Pacific this week.

The Hospital Authority will today release a list of other items required urgently in the battle against Sars. Fung Hong, head of a taskforce dealing with supplies and environmental controls, said high on the list were more Air Mate powered respirators of the type used by staff most exposed to the risk of catching Sars.

"Something that is very useful and something that is in very short supply is the Air Mate," Dr Fung said. "The amount [available] from existing suppliers in the US and the UK is very limited."

He said the taskforce was also evaluating the Barrierman protective suits. "Some staff feel a little hot in them, but in general they are happy with that and they say the suits make them feel more confident when dealing with patients."

Justin Wu Che-yuen, a frontline medic at Prince of Wales Hospital, said there was also a demand for N100 and P100 masks among staff. Dr Wu estimated an immediate need for about 500 masks in Sars-infected wards across the territory.

• Anyone requiring a receipt for donations to Project Shield can log onto SCMP.com and down-load the necessary information. Or, you can e-mail your name, address, and amount donated to receipts@scmp.com.
  

6. Private tunnel groups puzzled by government stance
JOSEPH LO, SCMP 30 April 2003

Infrastructure investors in Hong Kong say they are puzzled by the government's belief that the private sector was unlikely to accept a proposal to merge the three cross-harbour tunnels under a common private owner.

Industry sources said they had been lobbying the government to consider just such a plan for the better part of four years, as soon as it became clear that the Western and Eastern tunnels would have difficulty competing with the cheaper tolls of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. As a result, the two newer tunnels, which were designed to help ease congestion at the Hunghom crossing, remain relatively under-utilised by consumers, while the older tunnel is plagued by traffic jams during peak periods.

The permanent secretary for the Works Bureau, Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, told a meeting of Legco's transport panel last week that the operators of these two tunnels had not shown any interest in a consolidation plan.

Both are owned by private consortiums on build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreements with the government that guarantee them a rate of return of about 15 per cent.

The Cross-Harbour Tunnel's ownership returned to the government in 1999.

"[We've] been p***** off for a long time at the government's refusal to price the Hunghom tunnel at reasonable rates. By charging only $20 per car, the Hunghom tunnel distorts traffic away from the Western tunnel, which has to charge $35 in order to get a positive return," said an executive working for one of the consortiums.

The executive said that from the view of the two consortiums, the three tunnels were better off in the hands of private investors, although he conceded that negotiations to merge the assets would be "complex" and hinge on both economic and social concerns.

One problem is the government's plan to securitise $112 billion of assets in the next five years to help reduce the budget deficit.

"If the Cross-Harbour Tunnel is priced to private investors at too high a rate, then tolls would have to be higher. But if it was priced cheap enough to maintain current toll levels, the sale wouldn't help reduce much of the deficit," he said.

Transport Advisory Committee chairman Cheng Hon-kwan, who advises Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa on transport policy, said merging the tunnels would not be easy.

"We are talking about complicated terms, and we also need to find parties that are interested" in purchasing the tunnels, he said.

7. The Hot Spots
Michael Jen-Siu, SCMP, 30 April 2003

8. Popularity of Tung hits a new low
CHEUNG CHI-FAI , SCMP 30 April 2003

The popularity of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and trust in his government has fallen to a new low amid the Sars outbreak in Hong Kong, a survey claims.

Researchers of the University of Hong Kong's public opinion programme interviewed 1,021 adults by telephone from April 16 to 23.

Mr Tung's most recent approval rating was 41.3, but by mid-April it had fallen to 39.5. It was the first time that Mr Tung's rating had fallen below the 40 mark. Only 8 per cent of respondents were satisfied with Mr Tung's performance, while 58 per cent were dissatisfied.

About 61 per cent were unhappy with the government's performance, compared to only 12 per cent who were happy. Confidence in Mr Tung's government surged to an all-time low, with 46 per cent of respondents having no trust in it.

The central government also suffered a blow in confidence among the public, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they did not trust it. This figure was up nine percentage points from the university's poll in February.

Survey director Robert Chung Ting-yiu said the Sars outbreak was behind the plunging popularity of Mr Tung and his administration.

Legco will next month vote on a non-binding motion calling for Mr Tung's resignation.

9. Wheeler
SCMP, 30 April 2003

10. Food for thought offered amid thoughts of food
DENISE TSANG, SCMP 30 April 2003

Which is more important to shareholders - a free lunch or better corporate governance?

This is a challenging question for shareholders of Hong Kong and China Gas (Towngas). At its annual shareholder meeting yesterday, two camps of minority shareholders were bickering over the benefit of grilling management versus the prospect of wrapping up the meeting promptly for dim sum.

Sparking off the bickering was corporate governance crusader David Webb, who was recently elected a director of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing.

At yesterday's meeting, Towngas management was bombarded with questions about topics ranging from directors' fees to the re-election of independent non-executive directors.

Despite the atypical pneumonia epidemic, about 150 Towngas minority shareholders showed up at the meeting, breaking last year's attendance record by over 60 per cent.

Many of the investors are in their 60s and have held Towngas shares for decades.

The Informer joined the fun as nine Towngas directors - led by chairman and prominent property developer Lee Shau-kee - were grilled throughout a longer-than-usual meeting, which lasted 45 minutes.

Q (David Webb): "Mr chairman, would you show more respect to your minority shareholders by letting them ask questions after you read out each resolution?"

A (director Colin Lam Ko-yin): "Let me poll minority shareholders on the floor about their views on your proposal.

"Would shareholders please put up their hands if they are against Mr Webb's proposal?"

Q (Shareholder Ms Hui, to Mr Webb): "Would you shut up? You ask too many questions. You are delaying the meeting. It is lunch-time. I want lunch now."

A: No response.

(Ms Hui): "He stirred up trouble last time at the Hang Seng Bank meeting. I was there and I was so angry.

"I don't know why he has so many questions."

Q (Mr Webb, on the topic of directors' fees and an annual allowance of HK$100,000 on each gas bill): "Mr chairman, would you please say why directors are granted this benefit?

"The consumption is so large that there may be a gas leak at their homes, or are they running power plants in their bedrooms?"

A (Mr Lee): "The HK$100,000 annual allowance is so tiny compared to Towngas' profit. It is virtually nothing."

Q (Mr Webb): "Mr chairman, would you extend the benefit to minority shareholders by issuing gas consumption coupons?"

A (Mr Lee): "No, we don't have any intention of doing so."

Q (Shareholder Ms Chan): "Why do you ask questions again? You only hold a few shares in the company."

A (Mr Webb): "Shareholders only get one opportunity to meet with management every year.

"If shareholders come for dim sum, they should come over later, as in future, annual general meetings will last for more than five minutes. People like me will ask more questions."

Q (Mr Webb, on a resolution to re-elect Bank of East Asia chairman David Li Kwok-po as independent non-executive director): "Mr Li, I have no doubt over your capability and banking experience, the reason I oppose the resolution is that there is a conflict of interest because Bank of East Asia is a principal banker for Hong Kong and China Gas."

A (Mr Lee): "We have business with eight banks and Bank of East Asia is one of them. We treat every bank equally and I don't see any elements of conflict of interest."

Q (Mr Webb, challenging the re-election of independent non-executive director Lee Hon-chiu): "Is Lee Hon-chiu here today? Has he not come for his own election?"

A (Executive director Ronald Chan Tat-hung): "Mr Lee is in the United States now and he can't make it."

Q (Mr Webb): "How many audit committee meetings did Mr Lee attend last year?"

A (Mr Chan): "One out of 2 meetings last year and one this year so far."

11. Heritage site to be released for preservation tender next year
KENNETH KO, SCMP 30 April 2003

The government will release Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and the former Central Magistracy in Central for tender next year to be converted into a heritage tourism development.

Private sector proposals are being invited to preserve the heritage buildings and develop the combined site into a retail, dining, cultural and entertainment complex.

Swire Properties, which initiated the conversion in 1999, is expected to be a keen bidder for the project.

Gordon Ongley, general manager for development and valuations, said recently that the project should not be treated as a normal land sale.

The properties involved are the 139-year-old Central Police Station, the former Magistracy, believed to have been built in 1847, and Victoria Prison, built in 1841.

A spokesman for the Tourism Commission said: "The site is a fine example of Victorian and Edwardian colonial architecture preserved in its original form and integrity.

"Given proper conservation and creative use, the site has great potential to be developed into a heritage tourism attraction that would enable local residents and overseas visitors to appreciate the unique cultural heritage of Hong Kong."

The government plans to award the project through an open competitive process. The selected proponent will be awarded a 50-year land grant.

Proponents will need to meet certain mandatory requirements on preservation designed to preserve the heritage value of the site, leaving as much flexibility as possible.

Assessment of proposals will focus on four categories: heritage preservation; technical, environmental and traffic aspects; economic and tourism benefits; and payment to the government in the form of a land premium.

Qualitative aspects of proposals will attract a higher weighting than the premium in the assessment.

To make way for the project, existing users will vacate the site in 2005.

The commission spokesman said that public demand was growing for more to be done to preserve Hong Kong's heritage assets.

One of the most suitable ways to do this was to engage private-sector resources in projects with commercial potential. This would help inject new ideas and a new dynamism into the process to convert heritage assets to beneficial use, and enable public funding to be focused on preservation projects which might not have commercial potential, the spokesman said.

The conversion is expected to provide an effective link between existing attractions in Central, including Government House, St John's Cathedral, Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo and Hollywood Road, adding heritage to the existing entertainment and dining attractions in the area.

The spokesman said the involvement of the private sector in the project mirrored the approach adopted for the former Marine Police headquarters conversion project in Tsim Sha Tsui.

"It is important that we press ahead with major tourism projects . . . The decision to go ahead with the project reaffirms the government's commitment to continue to invest in tourism and to ensure that Hong Kong remains the premier destination for visitors to Asia," he added.

12. Cartoon
SCMP, 30 April 2003