|
2008-11-07 South China Morning Post
A rock of civil society
Businessman and social activist Chan Wai-kwan, who died suddenly last month, left a remarkable legacy, writes Chloe Lai
For a man virtually unknown to most Hongkongers, Chan Wai-kwan had an awful lot of people mourning his passing. After his sudden death from a stroke in Barcelona on October 8, Chan - who went by the nickname WK - was the subject of numerous articles; special websites were set up to commemorate him; and intellectuals and activists flooded their blogs and columns with tributes to the man regarded as a rock of Hong Kong's social movement.
Chan, who held a PhD in history from the University of Essex, to go with his masters degree in urban studies from the University of Hong Kong, looked for strong theoretical support to help disentangle complex social issues and come up with solutions.
His PhD thesis, titled The Making of Hong Kong Society, was published by the Oxford University Press in 1991. In it, he delved into the formation of the British and Chinese merchant classes and the Chinese working class, and the interaction between them in the formative years of the colony between 1841 and 1922.
The boyish-looking Chan maintained a keen interest in social issues in his business career. As senior director for business policy at the General Chamber of Commerce, he was one of the most successful reformers within the establishment and an unyielding advocate of corporate social responsibility, sustainable development and transparent and accountable government. A classic example is the Clean Air Charter of 2007, which committed chamber signatory members to cuts in emissions.
The charter has its critics, because participation is voluntary and failure to comply brings no penalty, yet it is hard to see what more the chamber could do in the absence of government action.
Chan was an expert on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and a virtual encyclopedia on the technical aspects of international trade. He was among the small group of people who worked relentlessly for a free-trade agreement between Hong Kong and the mainland after Beijing's accession to the WTO in 2001.
His efforts bore fruit with the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa).
"WK's footprint is on all works the chamber does concerning policies," said Eden Woon Yi-teng, Toys R Us China's managing director and chief executive of the General Chamber of Commerce between 1997 and 2005. "WK left a legacy in the pursuit of a better civil society," added Dr Woon, who described Chan as a "rock" of the movement.
A journalist, who did not wish to be named, said: "He offered useful insights to issues. Sometimes he would just call you up and ask you to read something which was already in the public domain but unnoticeable. They were extremely useful pieces of information and sometimes they could turn into exclusives, or even warrant policy changes."
Chan spoke out frequently on planning, environment and heritage issues, regularly writing to newspapers as a private citizen or as a member of the Town Planning Board to voice support for protecting the harbour, preserving natural heritage in the New Territories or maintaining the city's cultural heritage.
He left behind unfinished work on a dozen issues, including his opposition to the mega tower on Kennedy Road, and support for a heritage policy, a harbour authority, an urban renewal authority to regenerate old neighbourhoods, allowing the public to take an active role in policy formation and support for a town planning mechanism to facilitate sustainable development.
He also wanted to see Central become an electronic-road-pricing zone and the demolished Star Ferry Pier and Queen's Pier returned to their original sites.
His wife, Cecilia Wong Man-chi, believes his social concerns were related to his academic disciplines.
"His strong interest in planning and development, I believe, is related to his background on urban studies and his commitment to preserve heritage is related to his readings on history," she said.
Convinced there was a high level of intelligence among the public, and that their views held the key to a project's sustainability and legitimacy, he masterminded the first attempt at planning a project with a "bottom-up" approach.
Appointed chairman of the harbourfront ehancement committee of South East Kowloon Development Review, he pushed the government to hold public forums in which people were encouraged to talk freely about how their dream city should look.
Calling it "a two-say dialogue", Chan hoped the model would be adopted widely.
As a regular guest on government advisory committees and a key participant in civil society, he developed strong views on why public consultation always failed to capture the public mood.
Chan saw the advisory-committee system as no longer suited to the increasingly complex nature of public policy and the demands of society for a more thorough examination of issues.
One factor, he believed, was that appointees, who served as volunteers and were accountable only to the government, received neither institutional backing nor support from the secretariat.
"The system is not in synch with the modern world. What is needed is much more than conducting a few good meetings every year, but a new leadership and management ability that enables the committee to be engaged with a wide range of related stakeholders in the respective fields," he wrote.
Having worked for the chamber since 1990, Chan was well qualified to point out the secretariat's deficiencies in providing intellectual support. Dr Woon said that Chan played a unique role in the chamber, connecting the needs of its members to those of the city's economy.
"He analysed policies on the basis of what the members needed," Dr Woon said. "He integrated ideas and provided intellectual support. He himself was also full of new ideas. So he led agendas, guided discussion. Members appreciated the value he added to their ideas."
Chan was an expert on the WTO when few in the business community were familiar with it, and was able to play a role during Beijing's transition to membership, Dr Woon said.
"He was chief adviser on the report we produced which assessed the impact of China's accession. In 2001-02, Hong Kong had lost confidence, thinking it was no longer needed after China's accession. The report showed there were challenges and opportunities [for us]," he said.
"When the chamber lobbied for Cepa, WK analysed what was feasible and what was not." Chan even dug into his own pocket for the betterment of Hong Kong when he saw it was needed, Dr Woon said.
Back in early 2004, he and other intellectuals donated to the first study on the prospects for a West Kowloon Cultural District. The study, conducted by the University of Hong Kong for the Arts Development Council, estimated in May 2004 that the 40-hectare waterfront site itself was worth US$24.6 billion.
Office, shopping centres and apartment buildings would have a combined commercial value of US$11.8 billion. The project was financially viable, it concluded.
The report came against a backdrop of government opinion that the scheme was too large and complex for an accurate financial estimate to be made, and that the best way to make it happen was to outsource the entire design, construction and management to a cash-rich developer.
Danny Yung Ning-tsun, Chan's ally in the campaign to make the cultural district an arts project rather than a property development, accepted an invitation to sit on the board of the newly formed West Kowloon Authority despite his declining health and tight schedule because he felt his dear friend would want him to be there. "One reason I accepted being on the authority was because of WK," he said.
The artist, well known for his prickly relationship with the establishment, praised his friend for never complaining and always being eager to move forward. "He was always ready to think of a solution and a way to sort out problems. I don't recall he ever complained in front of me," Yung said.
Chan's involvement in public causes goes right back to his teenage years in the 1970s.
Motivated by a love of nature, he joined the Conservancy Association's Youth Environmental Action Group in 1973.
"Although we were young, we had a very strong sense of commitment," said Betty Ho Siu-fong, the green group's chairwoman and a friend of Chan's since 1975. "We went to Lam Tsuen River to pick up the rubbish there, and we were sophisticated in our methods, such as using surveys and making documentaries on our activities.
"He did not stop trying to make Hong Kong a green society. Never," she said. "He was never chairman of the association, he refused to be. He preferred to leave that chance to others."
Chan joined the Joint Organisation of the Concerned for Nuclear Energy in the early 1980s to try to stop construction of a nuclear plant in Daya Bay. He later campaigned for an Independent Commission Against Corruption- type body to oversee safety and environmental protection at the plant.
Concerned with the potential hazard of a nuclear plant only 50km from Hong Kong, environmentalists, academics and other professionals formed a cross-sector alliance to call on Beijing to scrap the plan.
"It is the first time people from different groups and different sectors formed an alliance to work for a common goal," Ms Ho said.
"The reason he could continue for three decades was his passion for nature, heritage and people. I believe it is why he had a child-like face which did not match his age.
"He was young at heart and he was genuine - he had no personal agenda. Also, he was reasonable. It is why people in the government and in the business sector trusted him."
Chan, though dealing with serious issues every day, had a lighter side. He loved comics, for example, and had a large collection at his Wan Chai home. "He said there are many profound ideas in those stories," Ms Ho said.
His wife said a large part of his drive came from his religious beliefs. He converted to Christianity in 1978, and had been deacon of Hung Hom Christian Church since 1991.
"I think Christianity was the driving force of all his good works. I'm very proud of him for his service to Hong Kong, his commitment to his jobs, and the love and care he gave to his family.
"He always wanted to make use of what he learned to contribute towards Hong Kong, a place he had deep passion for," Ms Wong said. "His commitment had my full support and, in any case, he was always a devoted husband and father and we are all very proud of him."
|