Donald Low

Asian Angle | Why Hong Kong’s ‘political taboos’ shouldn’t hinder an independent pandemic inquiry

While Singapore has released a white paper reviewing its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong authorities have been reluctant to follow suit

Donald Low argues that a ‘truly independent inquiry’ would raise uncomfortable questions that challenge Hong Kong leaders’ claims of competence and objectivity during the course of the pandemic

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Pedestrians cross a road in Hong Kong on March 1, 2023 after the end of one of the world’s longest mask mandates. Photo: Bloomberg

Donald Low

Published: 8:00am, 18 Mar 2023

The Singapore government this month released a white paper on the city state’s response to Covid-19, highlighting the areas the country did well and where it fell short.

The city state scored well in vaccinating the vast majority of the population in just over six months. But it fell short, among other things, in managing the outbreak in migrant worker dormitories, its overly definitive stance against mask-wearing early in the pandemic, and how measures were tightened and eased repeatedly during the Delta waves.

Presented as an exercise in highlighting the key lessons from the pandemic so that the country can be more resilient for the next one, the white paper is evidence of the Singapore government’s capacity for forward thinking and preparation, learning from mistakes, and sound policymaking.

By contrast, not only has the Hong Kong government not embarked on a similarly comprehensive exercise to assess its handling of the pandemic, its leaders have been extremely resistant to suggestions that an open inquiry be conducted. Considering how much Hong Kong’s reputation for good government has taken a beating in the eyes of foreign investors, talent and locals in recent years, resulting in a palpable loss of competitiveness – not least to Singapore – the government’s unwillingness to embark on such an investigation has disappointed many.

At the same time, one can understand the Hong Kong government’s reticence to embark on such an exercise if one recognises three uncomfortable truths about Hong Kong’s handling of the pandemic.

Hong Kong just ended of one of the world’s longest mask mandates. Photo: Bloomberg

Lagging in Asia

Singapore’s white paper makes the self-evident point that relative to other countries, the city state has done well in protecting lives and livelihoods – in balancing the trade-off between public health and the economy. What should be equally obvious is that Hong Kong’s performance, on both public health and economic performance indicators, was abysmal relative to other developed Asian economies, and worse than even some developing ones. Table 1 summarises this uncomfortable truth.