FADE IN:
INT. CLUBHOUSE - DAY
PETER reads newspapers small prints.
PETER (V.O.)
Five hours of reflections
among Principal Officials
and clueless regarding
the way ahead?
Peter shakes his head sideways.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Former secretaries spoke
out and jointly submitted their wisdom?
Peter sees the photo inserts.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Looks like business as
usual, but no ExCo meeting
again? But Government
still functions even though
those at the highest level
aren 't seen doing anything.
FLASHBACK
INT. STUDY - DAY
Focusing on keying his computer, Peter suddenly looks up.
PETER (V.O.)
Should I volunteer my
creative strategy as to
how to salvage the
operation?
Pausing.
PETER(V.O.) (Cont'd)
Why should I? She has her Principal Officials and
the ExCo to advise her.
I'm just an ordinary old
man.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
When I was Deputy
Secretary for Constitutional
Affairs (Special Duties) in
1999, she attended one
of my meetings regarding
the deconstruction of the
Urban Council and the
Regional Council.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
My role then was to flatten
the public administration
system.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Since 1999, I've begun
learning leadership after
Harvard professors. The
Government ferried them
to Hong Kong to train
promising civil servants.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The Harvard professors would mention in passing
the hectic schedule of their
annual visit to Hong Kong,
as they've to meet those
responsible and accountable
within the Government
machinery as well.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The Harvard professors
focus the knowledge transfer
on the Ministerial System.
Civil servants like me are
answerable and responsible
for our mission while the
ministers would be
accountable for credits
or discredits.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
In 2002, the Principal Officials
Accountability System was
introduced. The Principal
Officials were appointed as
Secretaries. The highest
ranking civil servants became
Permanent Secretaries under
them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
In 2008, the Accountability
System was replaced by
the Political Appointments
System, inserting two more
layers below the Secretaries.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Are such 3-tier hierarchy
functionally necessary?
The current facts speak
themselves. Further, the
cream of the crop were/
are former civil servants.
Can they really change
their mindset? Only civil servants don't have to
to resign. Here, the political
appointees won't even
master their own fate
graciously, not to mention
leadership. How can they
persuade the populace?
FLASHBACK
INT. OFFICE - DAY (2003)
SARS' time. Hongkongers including Peter wear masks. Peter looks unhappy.
PETER (V.O.)
Both the Government and
society aren't functioning
well. I feel ashamed to
receive my salary.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Wouldn't now be high
time the highest authority
deconstructed the Political
Appointees System
including the embedded
the Principal Officials
Accountability System by
abolishing them and let
Permanent Secretaries
to be collectively responsible
under the Chief Executive
(CE) who would delegate
as far as the Basic Law
would permit?
DAYDREAM SEQUENCE
A/ In August 2019, Peter gets the mandate from the highest authority to deconstruct the Political Appointee System.
B/ In Sept 2019, Peter works day and night to draft the Drafting Instructions for a Bill to that effect.
C/ In Oct 2019, Peter appears before ExCo, explaining the object and purpose of the Bill and responding to some queries.
D/ In Nov 2019, as ExCo is content with the draft Bill, the Bill is tabled before LegCo.
E/ Having gone through the Bills Committee stage, the Bill is read the third time and becomes law in Dec 2019.
F/ On Jan 1, 2020, Hong Kong reverts back to the governance model at its inception.
G/ In Jan 2020, a Hong Kong "philosopher-king" is appointed as CE.
H/ In June 2020, as soon as there is a minor demonstration in Hong Kong, the "philosopher-king" offers his resignation.
I/ In July 2020, a Hong Kong "philosopher-queen" is appointed as CE.
J/ In June 2021, as soon as there is a minor demonstration in Hong Kong, the "philosopher-queen" resigns.
K/ In July 2021, in a CE appointment lucky draw, an eligible voter-candidate becomes the 1st "lucky" CE, and everybody is happy!
END DAYDREAM SEQUENCE
Peter smiles and then laughs.
FADE OUT.
The End