Letters

Letters

Letters | Could Indonesia be sued for the haze in Malaysia? Yes and no

The Kuala Lumpur skyline is shrouded in haze, as seen from Ampang, Malaysia, on August 26. Photo: Reuters

Readers discuss a recourse for victims of transboundary air pollution, tourist spending, tourism videos past and present, and Hongkong Post’s options.

Letters | Queen Mary Hospital lift defects raise larger questions for Hong Kong

Lift repairs are carried out in Clinical Block 1 of Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam on August 15. Photo: Karma Lo

Readers discuss oversight of critical public infrastructure, a better development model for the Northern Metropolis, and a project in Hung Shui Kiu.

Letters | China-Nepal floods: engineering fixes are only a band-aid

A torrent of muddy water surges past houses and through the Trishuli River in the aftermath of flash floods, near the Nepal-China border at Syabrubesi village in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on August 31. Photo: AFP

Readers discuss the best long-term defence against Himalayan disasters, the Iran war, and the Ukraine war.

Letters | Hong Kong’s cleaner transport push must not neglect tyre pollution

The Cross-Harbour Tunnel on April 10. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Readers discuss the need to monitor tyre pollution in the city, a Chinese film about the Iraq war, and the US midterms.

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Letters | Today’s humanists don’t deserve the likes of a Fields Medal

A librarian in the northern town of Saint-Omer, near Calais, carefully shows an example of a valuable Shakespeare “First Folio”, a collection of some of his plays, dating from 1623. Photo: AFP

Readers discuss recognition for humanities scholars, and the challenges of ethnic minority children in Chinese language acquisition.

Letters | A greener Bangkok must also be fairer

Downtown Bangkok in 2024. Photo: Shutterstock

Readers discuss the revitalisation of Bangkok, and the legacy of ‘designated schools’ in Hong Kong.

Letters | Focusing on ‘bad’ dogs will not do Hong Kong any good

The Pawsgate dog training facility in Ta Kwu Ling on August 21. A 33-year-old woman who operated the facility was found dead after being mauled by a dog. Photo: Jelly Tse

Readers discuss the state of Hong Kong’s animal laws, and whether a ‘no-kill’ mandate for animals is the most humane approach.

Letters | Don’t take peaceful days in Hong Kong as a given

People pass by wanted warrants for overseas activists at Shenzhen Bay border crossing on June 17. Photo: Jelly Tse

Readers discuss the security of the city, a China-Nepal early-warning mechanism, and AI boot camps.

Letters | Fix Hong Kong’s healthcare silos with link workers

Sham Shui Po District Health Centre in 2022. Photo: Jelly Tse

Readers discuss bridging medical and social welfare, why Hong Kong must change, and an epic road trip.

Letters | Hong Kong should study the mainland gig worker insurance model

A food delivery rider in Mong Kok in 2025. When Deliveroo exited the Hong Kong market, many delivery workers were left without compensation. Photo: Sam Tsang

Readers discuss labour protection for delivery riders, and a new era for India-Bangladesh relations.

Letters | Why Hong Kong needs special courts for drug offenders

A sparrow flies near the statue of Themis, the blindfolded goddess of justice, on the roof of the Court of Final Appeal building in Central. Photo: Jelly Tse

Readers discuss Hong Kong’s approach to drug-related cases vis-a-vis New York’s, and dog owners’ duty to the community.

Letters | Hong Kong needs clearer framework for handling high heat on work sites

A construction worker on site under the extreme heat in To Kwa Wan on August 10. The city reached a scorching 36.9 degrees Celsius on August 9, the ­highest temperature recorded since the Hong Kong Observatory began operating in 1884. Photo: Sam Tsang

Readers discuss work supervisors’ dilemma on extremely hot days, and Hongkong Post’s financial woes.

Letters | Why do the humanities not have awards like the Fields Medal or Nobel Prize?

Fields Medalists Deng Yu (first left) and Wang Hong (first right), both Chinese mathematicians, John Pardon (second left), an American mathematician, and Jacob Tsimerman, a Canadian mathematician, pose for a photograph at the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia, US, on July 23. Photo: Xinhua

Readers discuss the lack of recognition for outstanding scholarship in the humanities, the lure of toys to children, and elderly mental health.

Letters | Solution to Asia’s ageing workforce could be sitting at home retired

Elderly people enjoy the sunshine in a park in Shanghai. Chinese government departments are increasingly hiring retirees as society ages rapidly. Photo: Shutterstock

Readers discuss second-career pathways for older professionals, and why Indonesia and China should innovate together.

Letters | Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy worth recalling in a global economy in transition

A photograph of Deng Xiaoping during his southern tour in 1992 is projected on a large screen during a performance celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, at the National Stadium, in Beijing, China, on June 28, 2021. Photo: Simon Song

Readers remember the late Chinese leader’s contributions on his birth anniversary, and reflect on recent dog-related incidents.

Letters | Reinventing Hong Kong does not require amnesia

An event marking the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China is shown live on television in a cha chaan teng in Wan Chai on July 1. When people value a cha chaan teng, wet market or familiar streetscape, they may not be rejecting what Hong Kong is becoming. They may simply be trying to preserve some continuity with what came before. Photo: Karma Lo

Readers discuss another side to the nostalgia for old Hong Kong, and investment prospects in Asia.

Letters | Hongkong Post should not confuse reform with retreat

People queue up to get special National Games-themed stamps at the General Post Office in Central on November 9, 2025. Hongkong Post could strengthen its marketing of existing services like personalised stamps. Photo: Karma Lo

Readers discuss ways to make the postal administration more useful and commercially imaginative, and the maulings of two small pet dogs.

Letters | Hong Kong mustn’t use the wrong index to gauge outdoor heat stress

Construction workers rest during extremely hot weather in To Kwa Wan on August 10. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reflects solar radiation more accurately than the Hong Kong Heat Index and should be used to assess heat stress for outdoor workers. Photo: Sam Tsang

Readers discuss how to better assess heat exposure at work, the accessibility of the Wang Fuk Court fire inquiry documents, and the US-Iran war.

Letters | Send Hong Kong youth on Long March study tours

Performers recreate the autumn of 1934, when residents saw off troops setting off on the Long March, in an outdoor performance in Yudu county, Ganzhou city, Jiangxi province, on July 28. Photo: Xinhua

Readers discuss how to deepen national education, legislation against social media platforms, and public education.

Letters | Practical ways to protect workers and projects in very hot weather

A construction worker works during extremely hot weather in To Kwa Wan on August 10. To keep outdoor workers safe and productive, measures like phased work schedules and portable cooling stations could help. Photo: Sam Tsang

Readers discuss balancing worker safety with the realities of major infrastructure programmes, a rehydration solution for outdoor workers, problems to be fixed, and what a social media ban should include.

Letters | Train frontline workers to handle animals humanely and legally

A pigeon flies around Temple Mall South in Wong Tai Sin. Photo: Karma Lo

Readers discuss animal welfare training, the danger of animal smuggling, the US-Iran MOU, and a fuller picture on migration.

Letters | How to learn crucial skills for future success as graduate jobs tank

Starting at the bottom of the employment ladder was never only a job. It was how people learned essential skills for climbing the ladder but now it is being taken away. Photo: Shutterstock

Readers discuss the career skills that were once learned at entry level, and employment support measures for those with disabilities.

Letters | Hong Kong mustn’t fall behind in recognising overseas stablecoins

US President Donald Trump holds the signed Genius Act, which will develop a regulatory framework for stablecoins, at the White House on July 18, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Readers discuss a recognition framework for dollar-denominated stablecoins, and the significance of Beijing’s offshore insurance tax for Hong Kong.

Letters | 5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

People fill the streets in Kwun Tong at lunchtime. In driving economic innovation, the protection of human capital, and mental health, is strategic. Photo: Dickson Lee

Readers discuss why mental health ought to be positioned as a strategic asset, and how the city is well-placed to build health resilience for the world’s most impoverished.

Letters | For better mental health, help students connect and build inclusive empathy

Students resume school in Wan Chai in 2022. Photo: Dickson Lee

Readers discuss how to tackle Hong Kong’s youth mental health crisis from the ground up, and a new chapter for the city.

Letters | Northern Metropolis planning must include kindergartens and schools

A view of the eastern section of the Fanling Bypass, with the Shenzhen skyline in the distance. In planning the Northern Metropolis, education must be treated as critical infrastructure from the outset, rather than a supporting service. Photo: Eugene Lee

Readers discuss how to make the Northern Metropolis attractive to talent, and a research project to identify the benefits of culture.

Letters | Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students face a new challenge – Mandarin

People walk past bilingual posters at the Building a Multicultural Workplace Job Fair held by the Labour Department at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok in 2025. Photo: Nora Tam

Readers discuss the necessity of a full-fledged Chinese-as-a-second-language curriculum, and a win-win food rescue mechanism.

Letters | Passing a driving test in Hong Kong shouldn’t be an Odyssean ordeal

Driving lessons are in progress in Kowloon City learners have their on-road driving lessons with tutors at Tin Kwong Road, Kowloon City. The Transport Department announced in April that applications would open in May for 332 new licences for private driving instructors. 13JUN26 SCMP / Elson Li

Readers discuss learning to drive in the city, the potential for Hong Kong to develop pet-friendly travel, and municipal maintenance.

Letters | Child nutrition in Asia is a worthy investment

Students pray before eating free meals supplied by an Indonesian government programme at an elementary school in Banda Aceh in 2025. Fuel and fertiliser costs may impact child nutrition in Asia, with long-term consequences. Photo: AFP

Readers discuss the region’s nutrition problem, the US’ yen intervention, and the future of Bhutan’s traditional arts.

Letters | Heat resilience should be baked into buildings across Hong Kong

A rooftop farm at Metroplaza in Kwai Fong in 2022. High-rise developments should prioritise operable windows and sky gardens to ease vertical heat accumulation. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Readers discuss heat-resilient building design as public health policy, and how to better safeguard teachers’ and students’ well-being.

Related Topics
MalaysiaHong Kong society2026 China-Nepal flash floodsHong Kong environmental issuesEducationBangkokHong Kong national security law (NSL)Hong Kong healthcare and hospitalsHong Kong workers and labour rightsHong Kong courts