Worksheet 4 Residents of the HKSAR exercising their rights

and responsibilities (1)

1. Do you know him?

Lap Sap Chung is back in town

source: http://www.info.gov.hk/cleanhongkong/download.html

Actually, he is an old friend of Hong Kong. He was a very important figure in

the Keep Hong Kong Clean campaign which began in 1972.

1
 The photos below came from the yearbook of that time.

He is shown on these center pages littering Hong Kongs streets. But as this crowd of
youngsters shows, his actions did not go unnoticed.
Source: Hong Kong 1973: A Review of 1972

By the end of the year, however, Hong Kongs streets were much cleaner as Miss Super Cleans
eradicated3 the infamous4 Lap Sap Chung once and for all.
Source: Hong Kong 1973: A Review of 1972

3
eradicated
4
infamous
2
 (i) Whom do Lap Sap Chung represent5?
He represents the kind of Hong Kong people who litter / who do not care
about public interests / who do not do their responsibilities in keeping
Hong Kong clean / who only take care of their own interests.

(ii) Why is he so ugly and scary6 ? Why is he wearing a mask7?

His ugliness and scariness would make other people hate him and not
follow his actions. He is wearing a mask which shows that he is ashamed
of his actions.

(iii) Had he really been eradicated in the 1970s? Why is he back in town in the
21st century? (Hint: Why does the government re-introduce the figure of
Lap Sap Chung now?)
No. The cleanliness of Hong Kong has become a concern again and the
situation might return to the poor conditions in the 1970s if we keep on
disregarding public interests / littering at will.

(iv) The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department homepage shows that
there were 24,222 convicted8 cases of littering9 offences10 in 2000, with
total fines of more than $12.2 million.

Do you think that littering is a serious problem in Hong Kong? Why?

e.g. Yes. On average, more than 60 people are caught littering every day
and more people are littering without being caught.
No. It is only a small number of people and it does not represent the
behaviour of most Hong Kong people.

(v) Have you been a Lap Sap Chung? If yes, will you change your behaviour
now? Why?

5
represent
6
scary
7
mask
8
convicted
9
littering
10
offences
3
 (vi) In February 2001, it was proposed by the government that the fixed
penalty11 on littering should be set at $600.

Do you think that punishment is the best way to make people become
responsible to society? Why?

e.g. Yes. Those who do not take up their responsibilities should be

punished in order to warn other people. / It is fair and reasonable for those
who do not litter.
No. The best way to encourage people to take up their responsibilities is
education. / Punishment only applies to those who are caught.

11
fixed penalty
4
For your information

Traffic Enforcement Week conducted by the Police

Date Place Fixed Fixed Summonses12 Verbal warning13

penalty
tickets penalty Motorists Pedestrians
issued to tickets and cyclists
motorist issued for
illegal
parking
May Kowloon 508 1045 210 (189 for 194 496
14
11 16, City jaywalking )
2001
Source: HKSAR Government homepage

Tax evasion15

Results of the Investigation 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000

Unit of the Inland Revenue
Department16
Number of cases completed 920 901 901 926

Understated earnings and 3,357.5 3,603.9 3,830.0 3,948.9

profits17 ($m)

Back tax and penalties18 1,158.1 964.2 898.5 953.4

collected ($m)

Source: Inland Revenue Department homepage

12
summonses
13
verbal warning
14
jaywalking
15
tax evasion
16
Investigation Unit of the Inland Revenue Department
17
understated earnings and profits
18
back tax and penalties
5