Your Voice: More youth should care about Hong Kong culture; stop abuse of transport subsidy scheme (letters)

I recently gave one of my overseas friends a tour of Hong Kong. When I asked him what he thought about the city’s culture, he shared that Hong Kong was really interesting and “cool”, adding that he loved the diversity in our city.

However, when I asked my cousin who grew up in Hong Kong about our culture, she replied: “Does Hong Kong have its own culture?”

As a student who has grown up in Hong Kong for my whole life, I’m honestly surprised by how little my generation seems to care about our city. Since we live in a society where the internet has made knowledge easily accessible, I thought young Hongkongers would look back on our history and culture and reminisce on how our city has evolved.

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Yet, I don’t see any of my friends, younger relatives and classmates acknowledging or appreciating Hong Kong culture at all, and this baffles me.

Not only is our heritage ignored, but not much emphasis is put on teaching teens about our culture either. This topic is seldom mentioned in our textbooks or lessons. The effort put into preserving Hong Kong history and culture seems half-hearted.

Hong Kong has such diverse culture derived from different countries. The fact that locals look down on our culture seems like a crime to me, and it is honestly unacceptable. The government should put more effort in promoting our heritage to the younger generations, and I look forward to learning even more about our beloved city.

Sophia Ling, German Swiss International School

The MTR Corporation and Hong Kong government have recently been trying to combat abuse of the HK$2 transport subsidy scheme.

The transport subsidy scheme was introduced in 2018 to help alleviate the financial burden of certain groups in society. The scheme allows people aged 65 or above, as well as those with disabilities, to pay only HK$2 per ride on public transport. However, the scheme has been subject to abuse, which has been facilitated by the lack of accountability and transparency in the current system.

To address this issue, the MTR and Hong Kong government have introduced a special JoyYou card that carries the user’s name and photo. Residents aged 60 to 64 are already required to use these cards, while those older than 65 should apply for the card by the end of October. This helps to prevent the fraudulent use of the subsidy.

Hot Topics: How Hong Kong is combatting abuse of HK$2 concessionary fare

Furthermore, enforcement and detection of fraudulent behaviour have been increased, for example by conducting regular checks on those using the concessionary fare and taking legal action against people found to be abusing it. The government also has a hotline for the public to report any suspicious behaviour related to the scheme.

While these efforts are commendable, more must be done to raise awareness about why people should not abuse the scheme. The government should launch a public education campaign to emphasise the consequences of fraudulent behavior and the importance of using the scheme honestly and responsibly.

These efforts to stop abuse of the HK$2 transport subsidy scheme are crucial steps towards creating a fair and sustainable system of support for those in need.

Louis Leung Chun-yin, Pui Kiu College

As someone who knows people in vulnerable emotional states, I believe we must take mental health seriously. These issues do not arise overnight.

The issue of poor mental well-being is widespread in Hong Kong and could lead to serious problems if they aren’t addressed. So why is the mental health of Hongkongers so poor?

One challenge people face in receiving treatment for their issues is the stigma towards acknowledging the problem. It is difficult to overcome how our society views mental health as a whole. Many people hold misconceptions about mental disorders or simply do not acknowledge them at all.

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Disorders like depression and anxiety are often overlooked by teachers, parents, peers and even the government. Not enough work is being done to relieve people’s mental health problems, and misconceptions only make the problem worse.

Shedding more light on the topic is necessary. It is important to note that the mentally ill are not more prone to violence than the general population.

We should do our best to take care of those around us even if it may seem scary or uncomfortable. This can prevent further deterioration of mental health in our society.