Public Message from Mr. Simon F.S. Li

Since the reversion of Hong Kong to China, our community has been put to the test whether we have the ability to run our own affairs properly. It is clear that to succeed, we need enlightened leadership from the Government and from the leaders of our community. Hong Kong will have a bright future only if everyone will put aside their own self-interest for the public interest.

Despite Government's commitments to the public, its proposal to extensively develop the Tamar Site to accommodate over 3,000 civil servants will have the following impacts on the community:-

•  Taking away an invaluable and unique public asset from the community;

•  Using over $5 billion of public funds;

•  Introducing adverse traffic, air and noise pollution and other environmental impacts;

•  Making the harbourfront inaccessible; and

•  Depriving the community of the only opportunity to have a vibrant, people-friendly and world-class harbourfront.

The Government has up to now demonstrated insufficient justification for the need to move more than 3,000 civil servants to the Tamar Site and has not answered what will happen to the existing Central Government Offices.

The Government should be particularly sensitive to public news as the Government's own self-interests are involved.

The Government has recently agreed to review the overall planning for the Central Harbourfront. The review should logically include the Tamar Site. As the government has not demonstrated any urgency, there should be no hasty and premature decision until all reasonable doubts from the community shall have been resolved.

While I personally support the Municipal Centre described by to-day's Press Release from the Society for Protection of the Harbour, this is only one of many proposals worthy of consideration and must not be ignored by the Government.

The Government and our business and community leaders must all realize that for Hong Kong to survive as a world-class and prosperous city, we need a healthy environment to provide a good quality of life for our residents. This can only be achieved if they will make good decisions in the public interest over business interests and party politics.

We have a historical opportunity to create a world-class harbourfront for the benefit of the people of Hong Kong and future generations. If the wrong decision is made at this time, history will be an unforgiving judge of those responsible. I sincerely hope that the trust of Hong Kong people in our leaders will be justified.