Latest news with #HomeandYouthAffairs
RTHK
4 days ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Make good use of historical war resources: Alice Mak
Make good use of historical war resources: Alice Mak Alice Mak says the government aims to enable all sectors of society to make better use of the rich local anti-Japanese war historical resources and deepen public understanding of the history of the war. Photo: RTHK Cally Kwong praises the participants of an essay and photography competition for recording the history of the war. through their words and lenses. Photo: RTHK The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is organising a series of activities marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said on Thursday. Efforts include setting up display boards detailing the Dongjiang Column's war history in community halls and centres, repairing and conserving the Wu Kau Tang Martyrs Memorial Garden, and improving a section of a village road connecting to the Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall. 'This is to enable all sectors of society to make better use of the rich local anti-Japanese war historical resources and deepen public understanding of the history of the war," Mak said. Her remarks were made at an award ceremony of an essay and photography competition commemorating the anniversary, which attracted over 1,000 entries. At the same event, National People's Congress deputy Cally Kwong praised the participants for recording the history of the war through their words and lenses. 'There's no need for fancy words. Their works carry the strongest heartfelt impact," she said.
HKFP
28-06-2025
- Business
- HKFP
New way to lose your shirt: Betting on basketball
Like most people who have worked in the casino business – I had a short but lucrative career in the bingo business before my first journalism job – I have mixed feelings about gambling. For most people, it may be a bit of harmless fun. The proportion of partakers who get hooked is quite small. But for them, the addiction is a life-wrecker. Serious gambling also seems a terrible waste of money. The house wins in the long run. That means in the long run, you don't. I am suspicious of stories of 'professional gamblers' who show a profit. But if they exist, this trick clearly depends on a lot of hard work and research. You might as well get a real job and do something useful with your life. These thoughts surfaced when I read that the government plans to launch a whole new betting option. People will be allowed to gamble on basketball. A licence will be issued by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs. Will the lucky recipient of this licence to print money be carefully selected? Of course not. It is going to the Jockey Club. Our government's affection for market forces and competition does not, it appears, extend to the gambling industry. The Jockey Club has a great deal of expertise in the highly technical and complex business of running horse casinos. It also has a lot of influence where it counts. So whenever another gambling option comes along, the Jockey Club gets another opportunity to fleece the unwary punter. We have been through this before. When the idea of legal football betting came up, the government said, as it says now, that of course it does not approve of betting at all. But a legal outlet for the public's weakness must be supplied, since otherwise, unapproved and illegal betting will flourish. The same arguments are offered for basketball betting, and this leads to the suspicion that something may be going on here that we are not being told about. Why do people use illegal bookmakers when the legality and convenience of a Jockey Club account are on offer? Could it be because they suspect that the illegal bookies will be … more generous? There will be 'net stake receipts' from legal basketball betting, according to the official notice. I take this to mean that the cash paid out to lucky winners will be somewhat less than the receipts from luckless losers. The 'net stake receipts' will be shared on a 50:50 basis with the government. They will, clearly, be considerable. Football betting was licensed in 2004, but this did not in fact result in the disappearance of the illegal version. Meanwhile, the illegal bookies went on to basketball. I wonder if in 20 years we shall be reading that there has been an upsurge in illegal betting on something else – Indian cricket, Rumanian pickleball, the number of times a senior official can get 'national security' into one speech – and the only solution to this problem is for a legal version to be offered by … the Jockey Club, naturally. The club is rightly famous for its charitable activities, but there is surely something a bit odd about a private members' club for rich people being given a succession of lucrative monopolies. Also a bit odd is the club's progression from running betting on its own races to running betting on other sports taking place in other countries. Will there come a time when the Jockey Club is offering a book on everything from athletics to yodelling competitions (I do not think there is a sport beginning with z) in every country you can think of? And at that point, will someone say that running horse races consumes a lot of attention, space and water, most of which is wasted, and is a distraction from the club's real business, which is running a lucrative gambling operation. I am reminded of the story of the Eastern potentate who built a magnificent mausoleum around his wife's tomb, but eventually decided the building would look better if the tomb were removed. HKFP is an impartial platform & does not necessarily share the views of opinion writers or advertisers. HKFP presents a diversity of views & regularly invites figures across the political spectrum to write for us. Press freedom is guaranteed under the Basic Law, security law, Bill of Rights and Chinese constitution. Opinion pieces aim to point out errors or defects in the government, law or policies, or aim to suggest ideas or alterations via legal means without an intention of hatred, discontent or hostility against the authorities or other communities.
RTHK
28-06-2025
- Business
- RTHK
DC economic groups' revitalisation mission a success
DC economic groups' revitalisation mission a success Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak says that the current district councils are actively fostering collaboration with a diverse number of community stakeholders. Photo: RTHK Authorities have said they extended the terms of the district councils' working groups tasked with boosting the local economy because of their success in revitalising the business atmosphere across Hong Kong. Originally scheduled to wind up at the end of 2024, the terms of these working groups on boosting local economy had been extended by a year, running through to December 2025. The groups are tasked with developing activities tailored to each district's unique characteristics to attract both residents and visitors, in a bid to stimulate district-level economic development. Speaking to RTHK in an interview marking the third year of John Lee's administration, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said that the current district councils are moving beyond initiatives that are solely council-led, and are now actively fostering collaboration with a diverse number of community stakeholders including businesses and local organisations when hosting events. Citing one success case, she said the district council in Lam Tsuen worked with the rural committee and young designers to organise last year's wishing tree event, adding they used that experience to enhance this year's festivities. Meanwhile, Sham Shui Po held a night market called "Lightsaber Spin in the Shell" last year, in collaboration with local electronics shops and merchants, which significantly boosted economic activity in the area, with some shops reporting revenues reaching seven figures in over just two days. Additionally, Tuen Mun's Gold Coast Hydrangea Festival – which featured a drone show and performances – saw some nearby shops take advantage of the activities to host their own events. "We see that the effect achieved by the working group on boosting local economy is that when we organise events, it's not only the district council or the government's resources involved," Mak said. "Instead, we can rely on diverse range of help from within society – the business sector, local organisations such as the rural committees, chambers of commerce, and so on – to work together. "Moreover, we have created a platform allowing merchants or private sectors to organise events independently." Mak said the working groups will continue to discover new platforms, which include revitalising traditional festivals and also organising new events, to empower different businesses to host their own activities.
RTHK
25-06-2025
- RTHK
Students head north to learn about source of tapwater
Students head north to learn about source of tapwater Zarina Insar said she is keen to find out how Dongjiang water is supplied to Hong Kong. Photo: RTHK Around 600 teenagers set off on Wednesday for a three-day tour of the mainland, during which they will learn about how fresh water from a mountain range 300 kilometres north of Hong Kong is supplied to the city through an intricate network of pipelines and tunnels first built 60 years ago. The trip, sponsored by a youth foundation, takes students to an artificial lake in Guangdong, as well as Sanbai mountain in Jiangxi, situated in a national forest park known for its pristine water quality. Addressing the students at West Kowloon station before they boarded a chartered high-speed train to Heyuan, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak urged the youngsters to spare a thought for the city's residents who endured a severe drought in the 1960s. The drought led to a landmark agreement that saw the mainland supply Hong Kong with fresh water from Dongjiang, a tributary of Pearl River. Some of the students on the trip hail from ethnic minority backgrounds. They included Zarina Insar, a 14-year-old from Pakistan who said she wanted to learn more about the water supply system. Zayan Khan, who's 15, said he signed up for the tour after spotting a promotional poster. "I'm very happy. I haven't been to Dongjiang [region], but I actually learnt a little about the history [of Dongjiang water] and now I want to see how the water is supplied to Hong Kong," he said in Cantonese. Insar, Khan and 38 others on the trip are attending Islamic Kasim Tuet Memorial College in Chai Wan. School principal Zareenah Ho said some of them also come from Egypt, Malaysia and Palestine. "Most of them have never been to the mainland," she said. "A few visited in the past year or two, thanks to policies from the government. "We also like to thank the organiser for arranging halal meals and prayer facilities for our Islam students." Ho hoped the trip can enrich students' understanding of the nation's development and help them learn to appreciate the water they consume every day.
