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for. 1.
SAR still has identity crisis - Anson Chan 2.
Flat sells for a record $33m 3.
A vintage year 4.
Taking stock
1. SAR still has identity crisis - Anson Chan
May
Sin-mi Hon, SCMP 29 December 2002 
Hong Kong people
are still unsure of their identity five years after the handover, says former
chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang. She
said yesterday that the lack of certainty over whether they were Chinese, Hongkongers
or something else had prompted some people to "confuse black and white"
when addressing issues affecting the SAR. She refused to elaborate. Mrs
Chan made the remarks during a dialogue with nearly 200 young people at an RTHK
function at the radio station's studios. "This
will happen in every epoch. In some issues, I think some people have, to some
extent, confused black and white. "In
the past five years since the handover, Hong Kong people have not found their
identity, whether they are Chinese people or Hong Kong people or whatsoever. We
don't have a clear identity. "Some
people, when they make comments, deliberately confuse black and white," she
said during the session, which lasted about 90 minutes. Ivan
Choi chi-keung, a City University political scientist, noted that Mrs Chan had
publicly urged the government to issue a white bill on the controversial proposals
for national security legislation. "One
could speculate whether she was referring to [Secretary for Security] Regina Ip
[Lau Suk-yee] who is a key official in promoting the proposals," he said. Once
dubbed "the conscience of Hong Kong", Mrs Chan said Hong Kong should
treasure and maintain its merits in order to remain prosperous and stable. These
include the rule of law, and honest civil service and respect for human rights. She
also urged young people to follow their conscience in deciding what is right and
what is wrong, and be brave enough to speak up and voice dissent. "If
you find it is wrong, you should speak up. History tells us if you don't speak
up, the issue grows." Mrs
Chan express hope that political parties in Hong Kong would become more mature,
with politicians acquiring and encouraging a bigger perspective on issues.
2. Flat sells for a record $33m
Bloomberg
in Shanghai, SCMP 29 December 2002 China's
Shimao Group yesterday sold a Shanghai penthouse apartment for 35.5 million yuan
(about $33.44 million), the highest price ever paid for an apartment in the mainland. Shimao,
owned by property tycoon Xu Rongamao, China's second-richest man, declined to
identify the buyer of the opulent 1,100 square metre, three-floor apartment. Executive
director Jason Hui said yesterday's auction drew six bidders, including those
fro mthe mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Luxury
home prices in Shanghai, China's commercial centre, have risen by about a fifth
in the past two years as buyers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere in Asia took
advantage of the opening of the real-estate market to foreign ownership. Government
and central bank officials have said they are concerned the property market may
be overheating. "The
auction we held today is a new development for the mainland property market and
something our company is testing out for the first time," Mr Hui said. "The
outcome was fairly good considering that we had set the minimum selling price
at above 30,000 yuan a square metre." The
apartment is located at the top of a 55-storey tower in the Shimao Riviera Garden
development in Shanghai's Pudong businessness and residential district. Ten
bidders earlier placed one million Yuan deposits to attend the auction at a Shanghai
hotel. The minimum bid was set at 35 million yuan. The
seven-building Shimao Riviera Garden project comprises 3,500 luxury apartments
due for completion by 2004. the units are selling at an average price of 13,500
yuan per square metre according yuan per square metre, according to Centaline
Property agency, the sales agent in Hong Kong.
3. A vintage year
S*A*R*
with Tom Hilditch and Shirley Lau, SCMP 27 December 2002 It's
again time to refresh ourselves about some of the more bizarre episodes of 2002.
Welcome to the SAR Awards, Part 2 (July to December) The
SPCA (The Society of Promoting Celebrity Attention-seekers) cross Presented
to Canto-pop star Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, who took the body of his beloved pet
hedge-ho Siu Gut to Western Court to face a charge of perverting the course of
justice. The body of the pet, which had died two days before, and its cardboard-box
coffin was denied entry into court. Lazarus
Throphy To Hong
Kong man Steven Chin Leung who, attempting to dodge a US fraud charge, faked his
own death in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The authorities arrested him
after Chin, an only child, pretended to be his own brother. He backed up his claims
with e-mails, which cops quickly realized were all sent after the attacks. How-The-Might-have-Fallen
Rosette A Hong
Kong hotel maid revealed former Philippine first lady Lmelda Marcos wandered the
presidential suite in adult nappies after apparently losing control of her bladder. June
4 Flashback Trophy Goes
to the Shenzhen PLA officer who, trying to control jostling shoppers at a supermarket
sale, bellowed: "Hey you guys, pipe down or it will be another Tiananmen
here." The
Don't-Know-Much-About-History Scholarship Dismissing
claims that Hong Kong was not ready for Article 23 legislation because it lacked
democracy, Secretary for Security Regina Lp Lau Suk-yee said: "Don't believe
democracy will be a panacea. Adolf Hitler was returned by universal suffrage and
he killed seven million Jews." In fact, Hitler Manipulated the democratic
process to seize power. Excellence
in Journalism Award Tycoon
Albert Yeung Sau-shing, for closing his publication East-week on November 1, after
it published a picture of s semi-naked actress taken against her will. The
"I didn't do it" Broken Gold Record To
Canto-crooner and convicted drug user William So Wing-hong, for his wet, whiny
and endless denials before being sent to rehab in Taiwan. The
Albert Einstein Award for Warping Space and Time and Right and Wrong Actor
Tony Leung chiu-wai, who was quoted in a magazine saying "during the June
4 incident, I didn't join in any demonstrations because what the Chinese government
did was right - to maintain stability, which was good for everybody". He
later clarified that his remark represented the view of Broken Sword, and assassin
character in China 2,200 years ago, who he plays in the file Hero. The
Spanking New Golden Handcuffs Award To
Constable Chiang Man-kei, who, while undercover at Fetish Fashion, agreed to be
tied to a saddle while an American woman called Jessica spanked, whipped and scratched
his bottom. All the course of the police's extremely costly and ultimately pointless
attempt to stop consenting adults enjoying themselves in private. The
Edward VIII Crown for Abdication "Queen
of Bum" and former beauty queen Belinda Hammett happily abdicated her throne
after joining a slimming clinic that helped reduce her 40-inch posterior to 35
inches. But the price is that for every inch she expands in future, she has to
pay a $100,000 fine to the clinic that hired her to promotes its slimming programme. The
Silliest march of the Year Award To
Article 23 supporters who took to the streets this month to protest that they
have too much freedom. Vintage
Cup To Hong Kong
wine-merchant James Neale for Master-minding Australia's biggest and dumbest Ecstasy
smuggling operation. Neale, 56, hid 105 kg of the party drug in a shipment of
cheap vin de table. Trouble was it made no sense to bring cheap wine into a win-producing
country. Customs got suspicious. Neale got life. More-Than-We-Needed-To-Know
Mink Earmuff Award British
documentary that revealed Hong Kong radio legend, Ralph Pixton, had a affair with
British comedian Wilfrid Brambell. Send
all information, invitations and tips to us at: SAR@scmp.com;
fax: 2562 2485; tel: 2565 2222.
4. Taking stock
S*A*R*
with Tom Hilditch and Shirley Lau, SCMP 26 December 2002 It's
time to look back; to wallow in the insanity and bizarre behaviour that defined
our city in 2002. Welcome to the SAR Awards, Part 1 (January to June). Calligraphy
Award Runner-up:
The three Thai visitors arrested for tying to open an HSBC bank account with 10
US$1 notes they altered with a pen so each read US$1million. Winner:
Chinachem boss Nina Wang, who after a long court case that began in the spring,
was ruled to have "probably" forged her late husband Teddy's will. The
Juno Mak Trophy for most Unpopular CD Awarded
to the Shui Tan Tsuen villagers celebrating New Year who, with police watching
their every move, were forced to play a CD of fire-cracker sounds. Dr
Harold Shipman Award for Medial Care Chinese
medicine practitioner Tai Kut-sing, who was ordered to pay$1.4 million in damages
to a taxi driver he treated for haemorrhoids with a "cure" containing
arsenic. Sexiest
Political Campaign Awarded
to chtung.com - which turned out to be a porn site. The
Hun Sen Award for Election manipulation Yorkshire
terrier Tung Oi-kong (Tung Loves Hong Kong) barred from standing for the "election"
as chief executive. Tung chee-hwa subsequently romped home. The
Gary Cheng award for Greatest Fashion Advance To
the police who introduced new black hoods made of stylish "breathable fabric"
for the greater comfort" of suspects. The
Year of the Blind Horse Rosette The
Hong Kong government, which repatriated Oluwaseni Olusanmokun - the son of Nigeria's
top diplomat in Hong Kong - after he was jailed for two years for wounding an
off-duty police officer in Wan Chai. He was just 10 weeks into his sentence. The
Regina Ip Award for Beautiful Hair The
woman who sought $8,000 in compensation from the New Idol Hair Studio after she
requested a "Julia Roberts perm" but got a "broomhead". Che
leu told the hearing: "Look at me, how can I do anything about my love life
now?" The
Henry Kissinger cup for International Relations Awarded
after Chinese agents found 27 bugging devices built into President Jiang Zemin's
new US-made private jet. Best
Twins Runner-up:
Dead heat between saccharine popsters Twins, the Abode Twins and the Lan Kwai
Fong Twins. Clear
Winner: Fading actress Irene Cheng who let her "twins" bounce freely
from her designer dress in a desperate bid to attract the paparazzi. Taleban
cup for Contribution to Women's Rights Defence
counsel Finny Chan Fei-nai who asked the judge to be lenient because the gang
rape committed by his clients was, he said, "a more gentlemanly sort of rape". Best
Hat Architect
Lord Norman Foster's $24-billion proposal to give West Kowloon a transparent canopy.
Mongkok Trophy
for Population Density Kee
Club toilet cubicle on any given Saturday night. Disc(h)ord
Award Runner-up:
Samuel Wong, Hong Kong Philharmonic director, who oversaw 10 resignations and
earned the dislike of about 80 percent of the remaining musicians. Winner:
Secretary for Home Affairs Dr Patrick Ho Chi-ping, who in his previous capacity
of Arts Development Council chairman, said grants just "nurture a group of
lazy people". Services
to Tourism Award Immigration
officers who, for no given reason, detained Hong Kong's Literary Festival's star
guest, author Amit Chaudhuri. The Indian passport holder fumed to the world's
press that Hong Kong was racist and had provided his "worst ever travel experience". The
Trust Your Dad Award Albert
Yeung for putting long-lens pictures of son Gilbert making out with beautiful
underwear model Ambra on the front cover of Eastweek magazine. The
Valour In Recession medal Li
Ka-shing's top lieutenant, Hutchison MD Canning Fok, whose 12.5 per cent pay cut
meant he only banked $105 million this year. Osama
Golden Bin Liner for compassion Lee
Chen-fan, who sued Chung Kai-chiu for denting his car. Chung had landed on it
after she attempted a suicide leap from a 10-storey building. "I meant to
die, but the car upset my plan," retorted a very put-out Chung. "And
it was illegally parked." The pair settled out of ccourt. Send
all information, invitations and tips to us at: SAR@scmp.com;
fax: 2562 2485; tel: 2565 2222. | 
