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Monday, March 19, 2018, 17:16
Outside the box
By Peter Liang
Monday, March 19, 2018, 17:16 By Peter Liang

The heated public debate on a proposal to bulldoze the exclusive Fanling golf course for building government subsidized homes has touched on a core value of this capitalistic town at a time when the widening wealth gap has give rise to populism. 

For years, the existence of the golf club had remained largely unquestioned. As the land lease of the 170-hectare golf course in the New Territories is due to expire in 2020, many populist politicians and social activists have stepped up their call on the government to take back the site for the building of many thousands of public homes to help shorten the waiting time of more than four years. 

As expected, the proposal has won considerable public support. The club is suddenly branded as the poster boy of deepening social injustice manifested in the wide income gap made worse by the incessant rise in home prices. 

Before jumping on the populist bandwagon, it is only proper to spare a thought to the fact that golf clubs, or any private club, for that matter, in economies that share the capitalistic values are meant to be exclusive, or even elitist. The one in Fanling with membership reaching the upper limit of about 2,000, including corporate and individual, is no exception. 

A few corporate memberships are known to have changed hands at more than HK$10 million each. And there is a long waiting list of individuals wanting to share the privilege. 

Indeed, membership of the Fanling club, or any of the other three smaller golf clubs in Hong Kong, is seen as a reward, or, at least, status symbol, aspired to by entrepreneurs and professionals who have made it through hard work and smart. It’s the imbalanced economic structure that is responsible for the widening income gap. 

To be sure, there is a pressing need for the government to find land to build more public housing. But it is equally important to bear in mind that Hong Kong’s success is built on a level playing field for all to promote a free market that rewards success.

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