29th Aug 2010 (25)
CORRUPTION WAS A NORM
During my childhood, I often heard the grown ups mention giving 'tea
money' literally for everything. If one was in hospital and required
services for a cup of water, or hoped to receive services that a patient
should receive, one had to pay voluntary gratuity to the casual workers
(who were called amahs in Hong Kong) working in the hospitals. Fire
fighters also demanded money when they were called out to a fire
scene, otherwise water would be splashed everywhere, even areas
which were not affected by the fire so that all the things there would be
damaged by water. They would expect to receive ‘tea money’ before
they turned off the water when the fire was put off. Paying extra money
to the telephone company would get priority in having telephones
installed etc. Huge bribes were paid to civil servants to win tenders
for public services or to obtain approval for all sorts of activities from
the government.
It was widely known that policemen received money from gambling
dens, brothels, illegal hawkers, etc. so that illegal businesses could
carry out without raids from the police. The whole Police Force was
corrupt and it was known to all that no policeman was clean. Even
though one was not involved in any of the solicitation, money in a
brown envelope would still be placed in one’s drawer periodically.
During that time giving and taking 'tea money' was regarded as a
norm, and not some sort of a bribery or crime.
In the early 1970s, I was approached in a hospital that I could pay
HK$300 in order to have a designated gynaecologist to deliver my baby;
and if I was prepared to pay HK$500, I would be able to have the service
of the Head of the Gynaecology Department in a government hospital.
Usually, the delivery would be attended to by those midwives or doctors
who were on duty if no special arrangements were made. 'Tea money'
would only be given after the birth and the money was given as a
token of 'thank you'.
At long last, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
was established in 1974.The number of policemen involved in
corruption was very high and a large number of them were under
investigation by ICAC. In 1977, several hundred policemen besieged
the headquarters of ICAC demanding that all investigations into police
corruption be halted. In order to pacify the police force, the Hong
Kong Government had to grant an amnesty to the entire police force
although cases being investigated and all future corruption cases
would be pursued without exception. Although corruption cannot be
completely eradicated in Hong Kong, it is now one of the cleanest
places to do business in Asia.
Old habits died hard. My mother-in-law still gave 'tea money' to the
amahs in the private hospital where she stayed in 1990s. In fact
she was treated in the same manner as other patients whether she
gave the 'tea money' or not.
Yuen-yee
CORRUPTION WAS A NORM
During my childhood, I often heard the grown ups mention giving 'tea
money' literally for everything. If one was in hospital and required
services for a cup of water, or hoped to receive services that a patient
should receive, one had to pay voluntary gratuity to the casual workers
(who were called amahs in Hong Kong) working in the hospitals. Fire
fighters also demanded money when they were called out to a fire
scene, otherwise water would be splashed everywhere, even areas
which were not affected by the fire so that all the things there would be
damaged by water. They would expect to receive ‘tea money’ before
they turned off the water when the fire was put off. Paying extra money
to the telephone company would get priority in having telephones
installed etc. Huge bribes were paid to civil servants to win tenders
for public services or to obtain approval for all sorts of activities from
the government.
It was widely known that policemen received money from gambling
dens, brothels, illegal hawkers, etc. so that illegal businesses could
carry out without raids from the police. The whole Police Force was
corrupt and it was known to all that no policeman was clean. Even
though one was not involved in any of the solicitation, money in a
brown envelope would still be placed in one’s drawer periodically.
During that time giving and taking 'tea money' was regarded as a
norm, and not some sort of a bribery or crime.
In the early 1970s, I was approached in a hospital that I could pay
HK$300 in order to have a designated gynaecologist to deliver my baby;
and if I was prepared to pay HK$500, I would be able to have the service
of the Head of the Gynaecology Department in a government hospital.
Usually, the delivery would be attended to by those midwives or doctors
who were on duty if no special arrangements were made. 'Tea money'
would only be given after the birth and the money was given as a
token of 'thank you'.
At long last, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
was established in 1974.The number of policemen involved in
corruption was very high and a large number of them were under
investigation by ICAC. In 1977, several hundred policemen besieged
the headquarters of ICAC demanding that all investigations into police
corruption be halted. In order to pacify the police force, the Hong
Kong Government had to grant an amnesty to the entire police force
although cases being investigated and all future corruption cases
would be pursued without exception. Although corruption cannot be
completely eradicated in Hong Kong, it is now one of the cleanest
places to do business in Asia.
Old habits died hard. My mother-in-law still gave 'tea money' to the
amahs in the private hospital where she stayed in 1990s. In fact
she was treated in the same manner as other patients whether she
gave the 'tea money' or not.
Yuen-yee
