City Beat | Hongkongers’ Singapore envy reflects frustration with ‘uncrossable’ housing hurdle
It is ironic that successive local governments’ willingness to learn from city state has now turned into pressure on authorities to right the ship
What does it mean when Hongkongers prefer Singapore’s government instead of their own?
A University of Hong Kong poll recently ranked the city state at the top when respondents were asked how they felt about different administrations.
The poll did not provide details of what the indicators were, but it was not long before some people came up with the assumption that the Singapore government had a better housing policy.
There is some wisdom in that, but it is also true there are many who hate to compare Hong Kong with Singapore because of fundamental differences.
Indeed, Hongkongers take pride in the many freedoms they enjoy, but the generally better living conditions in Singapore have increasingly become the collective envy of people here. This is partly thanks to Hong Kong’s successive leaders showing admiration for, and interest in learning from, Singapore in many aspects, including tackling the housing problem.
How ironic that this now seems to have turned into pressure on our government.
