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Broken Governance

Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS

FADE IN:

EXT. ROAD - DAY

PETER, carrying a small bag, jogs along. A MAN (60s), also carrying a small bag and with wet hair, sees him from a distance and encourages Peter with clapping hands.

PETER

(To the man)

Exercises! Exercises!

They exchange smiles.

PETER (V.O.)

He has already swum.

I'm just about to do so.

We're very disciplined!

We want to do good to

ourselves.

INT. SWIMMING POOL - DAY

Peter swims lap after lap in circular lanes. He follows slow swimmers. Others pass them risking colliding with others swimming in the opposite direction.

EXT. ROAD - DAY

Walking past a football pitch, Peter sees workers cleaning the renovated pitch.

PETER (V.O.)

They unearthed it months

ago. It is made good now.

INT. CLUB HOUSE - DAY

Peter's hair is still wet. He reads a newspaper's editorial column.

PETER (V.O.)

It's a crisis of broken

governance...

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.)

So there was governance -

direction and control of an

institution for its best

interest. A government

conducts public affairs and

manage resources. A company

runs its business in the best

interest of its owners or

shareholders.

Peter remembers something.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I saw a newspaper photo the

other day about "Free food

and coffee for Federal workers..."

I love ethical corporate governance.

It has news value and the media

promotes it freely.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Governance has many challenges.

The decision-making process

may not be participatory,

consensus- oriented, equitable

and legitimate. The execution

process can be non-transparent,

ineffective and inefficient. And

no one may be held responsible

and accountable.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Every day, the media report

stories of bad governance, from

governmental to corporate

levels.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

When I was directing and

controlling a Government

department in Hong Kong, I

exercised my best endeavours

in good governance. I wouldn't

let incidents becoming emergencies

and crises. I assumed responsibility

and accountability even for

short-comings rendered by

external service providers.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I did a reasonably good job.

Peter then reads stories in the business section.

INT. STUDY - DAY

Peter works behind his computer.

PETER (V.O.)

Good governance is not an

ideal. It's realistic and achievable

particularly if the actors are good.

ie having the right value and the

courage to try.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Just unearth the problems and

make good. If at first one doesn't

succeed, try, try again! Mending

broken governance also mends

stakeholders' broken hearts!

FADE OUT. The End

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