The Young Reporter
Tap & Go unveils usage details of $5000 government consumption vouchers
- 2021-04-23
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yoyo Kwok Chiu TungEdited by: Vikki Cai Chuchu
- 2021-04-23
Tap & Go, an e-payment service provider, became the first operator to announce details on the usage of the government’s HK$5000 consumption voucher set to launch this summer to boost the city’s economic activities which have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government announced earlier this month that it has picked four stored Value Facility (SVF) operators to assist the implementation of its consumption voucher scheme. The selected SVFs are AlipayHK, Octopus, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK. Tap & Go, presented by Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) Payment Limited, is the only SVFs providing a physical debit card and it said eligible users could use it to receive the government’s consumption vouchers. “I usually shop at supermarkets, I could pay by using Tap & Go because it supports Visa and UnionPay, which is quite convenient,” said Ms Fung Ka-wai, 22, a current Tap & Go user. “There’s less options (SVFs), I have to follow the government’s regulations if I want to get these consumption vouchers,” she added. In Tap & Go mobile app, there is a separate interface for users to pay by using vouchers. Tap & Go would be provided with different payment methods through the app, for example Mastercard, UnionPay or Fast Payment System (FPS). New merchants who subscribe to HKT’s smart point of sales (POS) service could enjoy free terminal rental and no transaction fee will be charged for Tap & Go QR code and FPS QR code during consumption vouchers scheme period, HKT also said in its website. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his 2021-22 Budget speech that electronic consumption vouchers will be disbursed by instalments to each eligible Hong Kong permanent resident and new arrival aged 18 or above, so as to encourage and boost local consumption.
RTHK producer conviction a ‘dark day for the Hong Kong press’, Hong Kong Journalists Association says
- 2021-04-22
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: SHI RuoshuiEdited by: WANG Yichun
- 2021-04-22
RTHK producer Bao Choy was found guilty of making a false statement and sentenced to a fine of HK$6,000 today at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court. Ms Choy obtained car license information from a publicly accessible database while producing an RTHK documentary on the Yuen Long mob attack in July 2019. She was charged with making a false statement for saying the purpose was traffic-related. “I firmly believe registry search is not a crime, journalism is not a crime, uncovering the truth is not a crime,” said Ms Choy on Twitter, who emphasized that this will not stop her journalism career. Representatives of the RTHK Programme Staff Union showed their support for Ms Choy with more than 30 people hugging her before the trial. Chris Yeung, the Chairperson of Hong Kong Journalists Association, described today as “a dark day for Hong Kong press and a day of shame in Hong Kong”. “The trial is giving a fine of HK$6,000; it's a fine for all journalists. Journalists are here to share the responsibility,” said Mr Yeung, emphasising that journalists must dig up truth for the public interest. He also criticized the judge for ignoring the role of journalists to monitor power. Phoebe Kong, a journalist from Deutsche Welle, said the verdict will set limitations on investigative reporting. “As a common method for journalists to investigate the truth, the criminalization of obtaining license information may result in the disappearance of previous stories and journalists may be afraid of being prosecuted,” said Ms Kong.
Carrie Lam: HK youth should move to Hainan for jobs and the chicken
- 2021-04-21
- The Young Reporter
- By: GOH KylanEdited by: Editor
- 2021-04-21
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she hoped more Hong Kong youth would embark on careers in Hainan on Tuesday. In a social media post, the city’s leader said Hainan officials will be thrilled to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for Hongkongers. “I hope to see young people from Hong Kong go to Hainan for internship, employment and entrepreneurship and enjoy the shadow of the coconut trees and the Hainanese chicken rice that Hong Kong people love,” she said after attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. Mrs Lam’s mention of Hainanese chicken rice went viral on the internet. “Hainanese chicken rice is a Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. You should apologize to the people of Singapore and Malaysia,” a netizen commented on her post. “Go for it, Mrs Lam! As a special economic zone, Hainan Island is full of opportunities,” another netizen commented. In April 2018, President Xi Jinping announced the entire Hainan Island will be turned into an international free trade port. The massive project is expected to be completed by 2035, with many Chinese netizens saying it is a move believed to replace Hong Kong. “I think Hainan will not replace Hong Kong, because Hong Kong has its uniqueness such as the judicial system. Although this has been continuously weakened in recent years, it is still better than Hainan,” said Jolyn Choi, a student at the University of Hong Kong. “I would not go to Hainan for Hainanese chicken rice as well. Why not go to Singapore?” Ms Choi added. Mrs Lam left Hainan for Guangzhou, where she will attend the meeting of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area tomorrow.
Prison rights group calls for transparency in complaint system
- 2021-04-20
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bowie Tse、LAMA Sumnima RaniEdited by: TUNG Yi Wun
- 2021-04-20
Beyond the high grey walls and barbed wire fence, only a little sunlight shines through the barred windows into the cells where prisoners spend their days. Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre is a medium-security facility where people who are denied bail are often held while awaiting trial. Mr Ma, who doesn’t want to reveal his full name for fear of retaliation, was arrested in November 2020 due to the social movement. He has been in solitary confinement for more than a month, and he doesn’t know when he will get out. “You lose all your rights in solitary cells where you spend 23 hours a day facing four walls,” said Mr Ma, who has been in the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre since late November 2020. “Everything is worse in solitary cells.” Solitary confinement should only be used as a last resort and never longer than 15 days, according to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. But Mr Ma didn’t file a complaint. The Correctional Services Department introduced the Complaints Appeal Board CSDCAB in 2016, chaired by the deputy commissioner of correctional services. It serves to improve the transparency and credibility of the Correctional Service Department’s complaints handling mechanisms. The appeal board is responsible for re-examining complaints and making final decisions on the appeal cases against the findings of complaints investigations. But those held behind bars have limited channels to cry for help. Complaints in Hong Kong’s 24 prisons are first investigated internally. In 2019, prisoners, members of the public and prison staff filed 504 complaints to the Complaints Investigation Unit of the Correctional Service Department, according to the department’s website. Only two were substantiated and close to 60 percent were found to be unsubstantiated. Social organisations and prison right activists call for transparency to …
Ethnic minority entrepreneurs break the glass ceiling
- 2021-04-19
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Simran VaswaniEdited by: Jasmine Tse
- 2021-04-19
It was almost 8 pm when Anushka Purohit walked into a bakery in Tsim Sha Tsui. Fixated at the smell of freshly baked, glossy and sweet bread that lingered hours after it came out of the oven, she hoped to buy a piece before the store closed. As she was getting ready to pay, the cashier said to the rest of the staff, “Last order of the day.” On her way out, Anushka noticed a tall pile of trays, with each one separated by a layer of assorted breads. “What are you going to do with all this bread,” she asked, curious to know what will happen to all the leftovers. “Throw it,” the cashier said while the other staff prepared black garbage bags. Anushka was shocked by the amount of fresh bread that was going to waste. Days later she saw someone drinking beer. That got her thinking about how to turn one fermented product into another and that’s when Breer was born. Anushka and her three co-founders of Breer use unwanted bread to make beer. In 2019, Hong Kong saw 109.5kg of domestic food waste and 51.5kg of commercial and industrial food waste per person, according to the Environmental Protection Department. With craft beer and breweries becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong alongside what seemed like a never-ending food waste problem, Breer seemed like a good solution. She first came up with the idea for the Enactus Social Innovation Competition at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. After representing Hong Kong in the national competition, the team decided to pursue it full time, using the money they won from the competitions as capital. Almost half of store-disposed foods in Hong Kong is leftover bread, according to a report by Breer. The city also produces 3,600 tonnes of …
TikTok owner ByteDance likely to launch Hong Kong IPO in second quarter
- 2021-04-16
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Vikki Cai ChuchuEdited by: Zhou Yichen Gloria 周奕辰
- 2021-04-16
ByteDance has started preparations for its Hong Kong IPO and is likely to file a prospectus in the second quarter assuming the company’s valuation of up to $400 billion (HK$3.12 trillion), about 1.8 times of its competitor Kuaishou, according to media reports. Caixin Global said if the Hong Kong IPO could be successfully launched, ByteDance would be the third most valuable listed company at the Hong Kong stock exchange behind Tencent and Alibaba group. Caixin put the valuation of ByteDance at about US$300 billion (HK$ 2.33 trillion) while Hong Kong and international media reported that it would be up to $400 billion (HK$3.12 trillion). However, ByteDance kept silent on the rumoured listing plan. The listing of the Beijing-based start-up is expected to include BtyeDance’s most popular mobile applications such as Douyin, news platform Toutiao and video service Xigua. TikTok will probably seek a separate listing since it involves overseas assets, Caixin said. China Securities Journal said that ByteDance had notified the operator of the HKEX that it had appointed securities underwriters on Wednesday but the media took away the story from its website on the same day. According to the HKEX underwriting agreements, firms are required to appoint sponsors and underwriters at least two months ahead of applying for IPO. The latest stock-option price for employees trading their bonuses to ByteDance’s unlisted stocks more than doubled compared with last year to $126 (HK$978.82) per share from under $50 (HK$388.42). The price did not move much from 2019 to 2020 at around $44 (HK$341.81). The prominent rise in internal stock-option price reflects the private equity market’s assessment of the firm’s value in the past 12 months. ByteDance now is the world’s highest-valued unicorn. ByteDance’s rival Kuaishou, with 271 million daily active users, reported revenue of 58.8 billion yuan (HK$ 69.93 billion) …
China's billion dollar "blind box" toys craze
- 2021-04-15
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHEN BingyiEdited by: Zhu Zijin Cora 朱子槿
- 2021-04-15
Lin Tangtang is shaking a box against his ear in a brightly lit toy shop. He is trying to guess from the sound and the weight of the box to see whether the doll inside is the one he wants. “All of my friends are buying blind boxes,” the 21-year-old university student said. “Every time I go out to eat, I will go to the store to buy one or two of the new series of dolls. It’s already a habit of mine.” He has bought over 200 figurines since July 2019, each of them costing 59 yuan (HK$70). A blind box is a type of packaging that keeps its content hidden. The box is identical in every way and nobody--including the store owner--knows which toy is inside. In recent years, the "blind box craze" has gradually become a phenomenon in China, attracting many young consumers to buy mystery boxes and in order to collect the toys inside. Pop Mart, the largest company in the Chinese blind box industry, launched a US$674 million (HK$5.2 billion) initial public offering in Hong Kong last year. The driving force behind China's blind box business is pop culture. The market was valued at 29.48 billion yuan (HK$35.38 billion) in 2020, a 44% increase year on year, according to a Chinese data analysis platform iMedia. The products in the blind box mainly just toys with images authorized for production by the original creators. There are mainly two types of intellectual property (IP) rights for Pop Mart’s blind box toys: existing IP from well-known movies, cartoons, games and historical figures with a story background such as characters from the Harry Potter books. Then there are original IPs designed by artists without story content, such as a popular green-eyed blonde hair pouting lips girl, Molly, designed by …
A Hong Kong Calligraphy Master
- 2021-04-14
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: POON Hiu LamEdited by: CHAN Wing Yee
- 2021-04-14
Every corner, wall and even the floor of King Wah Signboards in North Point is covered with the calligraphy of Au Yeung Cheong. There are also photos of his visitors, both local and from overseas. It’s a kind of creative mess with ink, plastic boards and paper all over the floor. The shop has been around for 30 years but recently relocated to Kam Ping Street after the State Theatre building was sold. The 65-year-old Chinese calligraphy master is well known for his remarkable and unique real script Mr Au Yeung has created more than a thousand signboards in Hong Kong, starting from writing, text carving to installing lightboxes. He started when he first arrived in Hong Kong in the 1970s and later set up his shop King Wah Signboard. “The real script was created and used by emperors as the official typeface since the Tang Dynasty,” Mr Au Yeung claimed. He described the strokes as Guan Yu’s blade, clean-cut, awe-inspiring, which is different from the Song Ti font and regular script typeface. “The Real script shouldn’t look as if they don’t have heads or tails. The characters are tightly structured and as sharp as a knife cutting a watermelon,” he explained. As Mr Au Yeung demonstrated his calligraphy, he almost threw himself into a trance, savouring the connotation his work seemed to bring him. He then compared his work with the calligraphy of Wu Zetian, the only empress of China. “Don't you think mine is more beautiful than hers?” he asked. It might be a common misconception that expensive brushes and ink are needed for the artform. But Mr Au Yeung revealed that his brushes and inks were bought from a hardware store nearby. “What matters most is the skill you have in handling the brushes and how familiar …
Muslims in Hong Kong prepare for a second Ramadan under COVID
- 2021-04-13
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Shameel IbrahimEdited by: Editor
- 2021-04-13
Muslims in the city welcomed the month of Ramadan after the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong, the official representative body for Muslims, announced the confirmation of the start of the holy month yesterday. The announcement came after the government allowed the resumption of religious gatherings with a maximum 30 percent of the venue’s capacity. “There’s this sense of relief in Hong Kong that the mosques are open” said Adeel Malik, chairman of the Muslim Council of Hong Kong. “Overall, It’s sweet to have Ramadan again,” Mr. Malik said More than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide fast from dawn to dusk for the month of Ramadan, though some, such as the sick, are exempted. Not having the iftar — the group meal during the breaking of the fast -- was the only downside this year, said Mr Malik. The iftar meal is usually eaten after sunset together with a large group of people, including family and friends. Social gatherings beyond four people are not allowed under the current government regulations — making iftars in the city confined to homes. "The purpose of Ramadan is to attain righteousness and that’s the main purpose of fasting," said Mr. Malik, adding that he expected to have Ramadan “fully back to function” in following years. Rahman Anse, a final year student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the month helps her to improve her spiritual goals. Ms. Anse also added that people should protect themselves as well as the community during the pandemic. “All of these activities can be done in smaller groups or even at home,” said. Ms. Anse. “I have more time to spend at home because all of my classes are online now.”. The city has 300,000 Muslims from multiple backgrounds, making up 4.6% …
Life Under the Pandemic: How Do the Domestic Helpers Spend Their Holidays
- 2021-04-12
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LAM Tsz YauEdited by: Janice Lo
- 2021-04-12
Every Sunday, in areas such as Mong Kok and Central, footbridges and parks are packed with clusters of foreign domestic helpers. Under covid regulations, large groups are broken up. A domestic helper, Bege, said this was her first time to gather with friends at the Mong Kok footbridge. They used to spend their day-offs in her neighbourhoods. Another domestic helper, Vina, said, apart from resting at the footbridge, she would go shopping with her friends. But under the pandemic, she had nothing to do after spending time with her friends, so she would get home earlier. Unlike Bege and Vina, another domestic helper, Magttelena enjoyed “me-time” on the footbridge by doing live streaming on Facebook. For domestic helpers in Hong Kong, finding a place to spend their days off is tough during COVID. The parks in which they used to gather are now off limits. "Under the gathering ban, domestic helpers are facing more discrimination from locals when spending time together," said Peggy Shek, committee member from the Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions, which has over 750 foreign domestic helper members. According to the FADWU’s figures in June 2020, among the 427 domestic helpers who were interviewed, over 80% of them felt they faced more discrimination amid the pandemic. "Before the pandemic, the domestic helpers would sometimes be driven out by security guards or dissuaded from taking photos when resting in parks," said Ms Shek But since last year, the domestic helpers interviewed felt that they had become the focus. Ms Shek added that reporters come to them more often and more people give them the dirty look. "Once when the domestic helpers were resting in the park, there were announcements reminding them to follow the social distancing rules every hour, which they found disturbing," said Ms …