I normally only report on global warming issue.
But I think this is worth sharing as it was basically open war of words between HKIS presidents, senior members of the HKS and HKIA council.
On Thursday 4 sept 2008 7pm till late was the "main" institute arrange election forum, HKIS decided not to have one.
The meeting, organize by the HKIA with members of HKIS, HKIP, HKILA invisted
A joint forum was not a bad idea if the aim is find a new Legislative Councilor representing the Architectural, Surveying and Planning Functional Constituency. A new strong, honest, professional, a person with integrity who was supposedly going to unite the 6100 or so professional members on a common goal and mission to develop a better Hong Kong. it was a closed forum, outsiders were hence not invited. No press was present.
It was one of the last opportunity for the 4 new candidates and the incumbent to talk about how they are the best person to do this job for the next 4 years
This "main event" (which felt more like the Hong Kong version of American idol) was not well attended, only about 40 but I guess still at least allowed the 5 LegCo candidates to speak to members of the all 4 institutes. Of the 6100 members about 40 weret here, primarily "council members, various appointed election agents and helpers (probably take up about a dozen).
There were some argument about seating with the HKIS president decided not to sit upfront for the forum. Kind of strange when the forum sole purpose was for all the candidate to speak.
After another 5-10min of arguing, with senior members of the HKIA shouting across the room about the IS candidate not respect architects, counter statement about improper actions of some members etc. Finally it was decided that the Surveyor candidate would sit in as a bystander.
So after 45 mins, the event finally started, and we all did our standard speech, I did my usual single agenda about the accelerated effect of global warming, that the sea could start flooding in by 2013. Had all this data with me expecting people might ask about this, where the water is coming from, what can we do, if it does come what would HK be like,what kind of flood defense we might need etc.
Not one single question has been asked on these, I also thought there may be some questions about the introduction of a sustainability code. What we can do to upgrade our very outdated building regulations to new energy and insulation requirements. Perhaps some might be interested in how old buildings could be upgrade to better energy efficiency how much we could save electricity cost. Even upgrade of the fire safety requirements to avoid future problem like the recent fire?
How about conservation, someone must be interest in how best we should conserve what little left of our heritage, after all thousands of people did protest about the demolition of the Star ferry pier, Queens pier. people protest, camped and slept overnight, hunger strike etc etc, perhaps these must be interested on that. In the end there was a planner who did question about why did the incumbent decided to take the absent vote. there were some discussion about what each would do and right and wrong of it all (and all that time I was thinking look guys, we lost these pier for good, even if one was rebuilt after all this reclaim, it will just be a monument not quite the working pier that use to serve royals, high ranking civil servant, investments bankers and corporate get together boat rides.
I thought shouldn't we be talking more as to how were can best stop things like this from ever happening again. but the conversation degenerated into rule and regulations of how antiquity board work and there are so much great things already the LegCo had done etc etc..
There were bit and pieces about people political view, whether the candidates are democrats, whether they are pro development. there were some talk about sustainability (a few minutes quite a bit about how bad the government system of engaging consultants.
about how fees are 20% of normal under a competitive tender.
There were ideas about how great overseas countries are in engaging consultants based upon good architectural design. As everyone who have worked overseas knows, this is not really strictly true as the same kind of complaints or new types of equally valid complaints are also said overseas, like bidding a one dollar fee?
Anyway, no point in elaborate on that, other than the grass is always greener on the other side and many of the great ideas about how open competitions are in the wast are limited to grand scheme projects and most other mundane government projects are procure the same way, proposals plus fee. There was the show of 2 year old Al Gore inconvenient truth again (which until recently I have only find out that most of the professional had not seen).
There was a bit more talk about planning, how would transfer of development right would solve the problem of Hong Kong. There were more discussion about democrat, should the LegCo vote for the AS&P member or the view of the party.
Toward the end, the HKIS candidate did decided to say some words about integrity and how he would unite the four institute, some of the audience opening criticize how could this be true if you can't even respect this forum and sit in front on stage and answer the questions?
More back of forth of angry words, other statements which I was too hungry and tired to remember and that was about it, after 2 hours and30 mins, the show of the next Hong Kong Idol was finally over.
I can go home, hopefully see my children before they go to bed. It is interesting that I notice most of the younger members who came to listen has gone, drifted away quietly probably a long time ago, and what was left was council members, some familiar faces that seem to like going to these and ask the "tough questions". There were few tough question at least for me anyway, other than some strange looks, probably thinking what is this guy doing here talking about global warming and conserving what is left of our heritage in Hong Kong.....
"what is in it for him, why is he here?"
I guess these were my thoughts
Can I be wasting my time?
But then, it was getting late, and I was really tired, and was looking forward in seeing my family....
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