SCM Post lai see today remarks on obscene air pollution, noting env secretary Edward Yau did nothing about this under Donald Tsang [and as Tsang departed, Yau was shifted too]:
The high roadside pollution levels yesterday are a further reminder of the legacy of former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and secretary for the environment Edward Yau Tang-wah. Despite mounting evidence that roadside pollution was getting worse in Hong Kong, they did next to nothing about it.
The Hedley Environmental Index, which relates Hong Kong's roadside pollution to World Health Organisation standards, moved beyond the "very dangerous" level yesterday and went off the scale.
Tsang tried to make out that Hong Kong's dirty air was only a problem for expatriates. Yau for his part would talk glibly about the need to "balance" public health with economic development. Even when he was shamed into setting a date for the introduction of new air quality objectives, he disingenuously claimed that the legislative process meant they couldn't be introduced before 2014, when in fact he had the authority to do it almost immediately. His is an awful legacy. But he has nevertheless been rewarded with another stint in government as the Director of Office of the Chief Executive. Membership of the government/civil service club seems to entail a job for life regardless of performance.