2. 2 3
Dear readers,
I would like to welcome you to the sixth publication. We are very excited to bring you some fascinating articles
written by students at University of Warwick.
It has been always challenging to build upon the success of PASSTIME over the previous years. This year we
reform the structure of the magazine. A cover story comments on the immigration policy and draws a contrast
between our home, Hong Kong and where we are, the United Kingdom. Apart from this, we as well include
loads of interesting articles written by our members, like what we did in our previous editions.
I would like to thank all of the contributions from our Chief Editor Christopher Li and all members of the
editorial team and design team. Without their hard work and dedication we would not be able to produce the
magazine.
On behalf of WHKPASS, I hope you enjoy reading the magazine and that you have enjoyed our past editions.
Best wishes for the coming year!
Best Regards,
Chi Man Cheung
President 2013-2014
Message from President
Message from Chief Editor
Designer:Lucas Chan
Hi everyone,
This year, the editorial team and I tried to find a common issue between the UK and
Hong Kong to be our cover story. Eventually, we have chosen the issue of immigration.
This issue is always controversial. On one hand, skilled or young immigrants are crucial
to the economic growth of a country, especially one with an aging population. On the
other hand, some of them may also put more pressure on the welfare and public health
services. By showing you the current situations, we hope our articles can assist you
to find a solution, to strike a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of
accepting immigrants to come to our homeland.
I would like to sincerely thank the editorial team, the design team and all the writers. Their
great contributions have made this magazine happen.
Finally, I hope you will enjoy reading this magazine, or even find it inspiring.
Have a nice day
Christopher Li
Chief Editor
Public Affairs Director 2013-2014
CONTENTS
Message from President & Chief Editor
Timeline
Freshers’ Life
Warwickpoly
Cover Stories
Immigration
Are Mainlanders Saviours or Enemies?
Meaning of Life
Social
Does it have to be one or the other?
我看中港邊界
Commentator
心靈計程車
All bad things ain’t bad
Should we create a universal language
Sport and Health
You are what you eat “Lemon”
The countdown of a “Brizilian” World Cup
Needle-Free Vaccination
Our Team
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8. 14 15
Implementation of the One Way
Permit (OWP) Scheme since 1980
has played a crucial role in regulating
the flow of immigrants from the
Mainland. Mainland residents who
wish to settle in Hong Kong for family
reunion must apply for OWPs from
the Exit and Entry Administration
Offices of the Mainland at their
household registration. At present,
a daily quota of 150 immigrants
from Mainland are granted a “one-
way permit” to leave the Mainland
and settle in Hong Kong and this
policy is justified by the HKSAR
government in the context of
“facilitating family reunification at a
rate that Hong Kong’s economic
and social infrastructure can absorb
without excessive strain”.
According to Hong Kong Annual
Digest of Statistics, Census and
Statistics Department, comparing
to the past, the death rate has
declined to a great extent from
9.0% in 1981 to 5.1% in 2012.
As a large amount of babies born
after the WWII (i.e. after 1945)
approached their retirement age,
population aged 65 or above has
been increasing in recent years.
Advancement of medical system
and greater health consciousness
have resulted an increasing
elderly dependency ratio thereby
contributed to the ageing population
in Hong Kong. As a consequence
of the Court of Final Appeal ruled in
July 2001 that babies born in Hong
Kong to Chinese nationals have the
right of abode in Hong Kong, there
has been an obvious upward trend
of birth rate from 6.7% in 2001 to
13.6% in 2012. This highlights the
undoubtable contribution of the
OWP arrivals to the expansion of
population growth facilitated by
cross-boundary marriages therefore
we cannot deny the fact that the
OWP scheme is of vital importance
in a sustainable population policy.
However, it is generally impossible
for anywhere in the world to accept
“taking the advantages without
paying the price”, the influx of
mainlanders has aroused several
concerns recently. In 2014, Hong
Kong was ranked No. 1 in the world
for the most ‘unaffordable’ housing
thanks to the mainland speculators
in popping up the housing bubbles.
The housing prices have risen
dramatically over the past ten years
to which rendered the local grass
roots turn to cubicle apartments.
In addition to that, the unanimous
court of final appeal ruling has
declared it unconstitutional to
deny comprehensive social
security assistance (CSSA) to new
immigrants in Dec, 2013, which
means the seven-year residency
requirement for CSSA benefits has
been dismissed. Protesters argued
that the decision would lead to an
increase in the financial burden on
our government by adding a few
hundreds of million annually which is
not legitimated by popular support.
Ho Hei-wah, director of the Society
for Community Organisation,
said the ruling may lead to an
annual increase of 5,000 to 7,000
applications from new immigrants
and add HK$750 million annually -
an increase of 3.5 per cent - to the
CSSA bill.
“According to the Basic Law,
China’s Ministry of Public Security
is responsible for the application
acceptance, approval and
issuance of OWP, hence Hong
Kong government cannot ‘take
back’ or ‘fight for’ the approval
right.” Ms. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-
ngor said in July 2013. The openly
indication from the chief secretary
for administration has triggered
widespread public concerns,
activists criticized that “outsourcing”
of the OWPs approval right is not
confined with the basic law as
article 22(4) of the Basic Law clearly
provides that: “for entry into the
Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, people from other parts
of China must apply for approval.
Among them, the number of
persons who enter the Region for
the purpose of settlement shall
be determined by the competent
authorities of the Central People’s
Government after consulting
the government of the Region”.
Therefore the number of Mainland
immigrants should be decided
after consultation with Hong Kong,
however the 150 quota is not an
invariable number so that is not
set in stone in the Basic Law. In
addition, the loss of OWPs approval
rights has violated the Basic Law
Article 154, which provides Hong
Kong with the power of immigration
control, and deprived Hong Kong
from a very important safeguard.
Family reunification is merely a
policy matter and it is neither an
internationally recognised human
rights nor written in the basic law,
therefore HKSAR need not to
foster family reunion for the sake
of it. Apparently, OWPs scheme
has already led to a series of
societal issues ranging from the
unaffordable housing and retail
prices, misallocation of resources
due to the accelerated financial
burden, upward capacity pressure
on our infrastructures as well
as the growing confrontation
between mainlanders and Hong
Kong people. This increasingly
alarming societal conflict is deeply
embedded in the city and it casts
a shadow over the future of
Hong Kong which deserves the
government a close attention. The
government should not promote
an irresponsible immigration policy
under the pretext of rejuvenating
the ageing population. Hong Kong
government should always review
the effectiveness of the immigration
policy as well as carry out a frequent
and thorough assessment in order
to evaluate the city’s capacity
on accommodating immigrants.
Every endeavor should be tried to
remedy the societal issues without
procrastination.
If they want to make Hong Kong a
better and more independent city--
a commendable aim, to be sure--
strike a balance between the impact
of the immigrants and the livelihood
of our community instead of juggle
the competing demands of china’s
leaders and Hong Kong people. I
believe in the end, warnings from
Beijing about sowing chaos will not
scare the people of Hong Kong.
Rather they would be emboldened.
Written by Marc Lai
Are Mainlanders
Saviours or Enemies?
14. 26 27
J
ust yards off the platform
heading back to Coventry,
while still pondering how I
could fill these columns, the tedi-
um of the journey was dispersed
by an unexpected yet joyful and
refreshing arrival of the ticket
inspector.
There are ticket inspectors and
ticket inspectors, this is unques-
tionably the latter. He made an en-
trance by singing, like Gene Kelly
in Singing in The Rain. Not only did
he sing, he made a rhyme as well,
I passed him the ticket and he re-
sponded drolly, “I get into groove,
and have you approved!” I was
stoned. Speechless. Jaw-dropping.
The coup de theatre then hit me
twice, “You are in the right line and
you are fine!” He soon after contin-
ued his tour, like Jay Z, like a boss.
Albeit being a ticket inspector
and harvesting circa a thousand
quid a month, he enjoyed it very
much. What’s his little secret? As a
Hongkonger, this is the question of
the century. Being overwhelmed
and preoccupied for so long, the
penny dropped as the train con-
tinued its third leg leaving Derby:
Chris Rock said, and I quote, “All
bad words ain’t bad. It’s about the
context in which they are said.”
Likewise, all bad things ain’t bad,
it’s about the way you see them.
A little disclaimer here, I am not
suggesting being ticket inspector
is a bad thing per se, it is just an
example.
I did appallingly in the A-Level
Exam. At first glance, it appeared
to be my apocalypse: Without a
degree? Live a refugee. On sec-
ond thought, it may serve nicely
as a wake-up call. I recall Cho Yan
Chiu had his own theory about
failure: One must meet his Water-
loo, as the saying goes, “No pain,
no gain”; and should meet it before
thirty, because that gives you
enough time to restart. My lovable
English teacher Mr. Daswani once
enlightened me, “Never ask ‘Why?’,
ask ‘What next?’ instead.” All these
people (giants in my mind) have
their unique way to see ‘bad’
things. The former is not against
failure, he welcomes it; the latter
instilled such a beautiful notion
into me: don’t let what seems to
be a cul-de-sac stumps you, just
move on and conquer it.
Now I am here, reading law,
sculpting my path to be a lawyer.
The Waterloo turns out to be a
Shangri-La. Or does it? Law is no
slouch, one has to fight tooth and
nail to tame this beast, there are
always complicated essays to
tackle, let alone the convoluted
reading and societies activities.
However, all bad things ain’t bad,
the study yields precious critical
thinking skills, a well-trained mind
to deal with pressure, a coveted
degree and, joy of joys, a prom-
ising future.
At this point I run out of cliché
to say, thankfully a slight delay in
Burton-on-Trent buys me another
half an hour to pen the other.
See, all bad things ain’t bad.
By Harold Lai
All Bad Things ain't Bad,
a.k.a.
Salvage Yourself by Savouring Your Life
17. 32 33
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“Lemon”
Philip Li
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We have all heard of the phrase “you are what you eat”, and there are a
number of foods which can help improve the functions of your body.
Today we will be talking about a yellow fruit from a small evergreen tree
native to Asia – lemons, and its various beneficial elements to our body.
!
!
1. WEIGHT LOSS
Are you unhappy about your weight? Lemons
can help you lose some weight by naturally
inducing a sensation of being “full” thus
making you eat less. Lemons contain pectin,
and this chemical will help you feel “full”.
Before a meal, you can make yourself a glass
of lemon juice, and you will find that you will
eat a lot less after. But do remember, having a
healthy weight is important. Never try to lose
weight just by eating less –doing exercises
with combination of suitable diet will help you
lose weight in a natural and healthy way.
2. ABOLISH ACNE
One of the key chemical found in lemons is
citric acid, and it does wonders for treating
acne. The alkaline nature of the substance
helps kill many types of bacteria, which causes
acne. You can treat your acne by drinking
lemon juice daily, or you can apply lemon juice
on your face directly. To do this, you will
squeeze your own fresh lemon juice and apply
the juice with a cotton ball over you face. This
might sting a little bit due to the alkaline
properties of the juice, but bear with it and
leave it overnight, and wash it off the
following morning. You can do this every other
day or every two days, but do not apply lemon
juice to open wounds as it might irritate it.
3. WHITEN TEETH
Have you ever looked in the mirror and hoped
your teeth looked whiter? Have you tried
brushing your teeth with various types of
toothpastes and found your effort in vain? Give
lemons a try; they’re natural, simple, and
effective. Just slice a wedge of lemon and rub
it on your teeth (you can also add some lemon
soda onto the lemon to help boost the
effects), and it would help you achieve instant
whiteness. However, be warned that you don’t
want to rub it for too long, as it might do you
more harm than good.
4. RELIVES ANXIETY
Recent studies have found that lemons help
relive anxiety, and by doing so helps improve
sleep. So if you are under too much pressure
from your studies and work, or if you cannot
sleep at night worrying about assignments
coming up, try having some lemon balm
extract (600mg) for 7 days. It will significantly
increase your mood and calmness.
5. IMPROVES IMMUNITY
The healing powers of the lemon are
extraordinary; it works both internally and
externally. Internally, it helps by supplying
vitamin C to your defense cells, and externally
with its antiviral and detoxification properties.
So next time, if you have a fever, cold, or a
sore throat, try squeezing yourself a cup of
lemon juice and drink it mixed with lukewarm
water to heal improve your immunity.
6. FIGHTS FATIGUE
Staying up late to finish an assignment?
Instead of drinking cans of Red Bull, you
might want to try the natural way, I’m sure
it’ll “give you wings” as well. Just simply slice
the lemon in half and stick a straw into the
lemon, suck out all the lemon juice you can,
and achieve instant refreshment. Long
distance walkers, world travelers, and
explorers do this when they are tired. As
lemon juice also boosts brain activity, so it’ll
help you focus and concentrate to whatever
you need to do.
So the next time when you get your drink at a restaurant, you might want to ask for a slice of lemon.
Even just by sucking out all of the lemon juice in that single slice of lemon before meals can help you
achieve all of the things mentioned here. Natural remedies are always the most effective ones, as the
nature has all the answers. Why don’t you give it a try? 33
18. 34 3534 35
The countdown of a “Brazilian”
World Cup
An article based on the social and economic impacts at
the Brazil World Cup 2014. Please bear in mind that it is
a century of days of countdown until the start of the
World Cup when I am preparing for this article.
By Pok Yin Liu, Brian.
To begin with, we need to start by carefully
considering what a World Cup actually means to a
country such as Brazil who has won it five times in
the previous tournaments, with the last coming in
2002. This country unparalleled records have no
doubts produced the best players in the past and
has the most triumphs out of all the participating
nations. But what has the upcoming WC done to the
country not just economically but also socially?
Dating back to 1958 when Brazil first won the most
precious award in Solna, Sweden featuring the likes
of FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur winner, Pele in
which they dominated the match by wining 5:2
against the host. The award he later received in
2014 reflects a winner only of his quality to have
won the world cup three times in his player career.
Since, many more global stars have came through
the ranks in the likes of Cafu, Ronaldo, Reboerto
Carlos, Ronaldinho, Kaka and more recently
Neymar where the hopes of winning the world cup
on home soil relies on. These are the people who
have inspired many generations of Brazilian and
why football has engraved as one of their religion.
With only half a year till the start of the tournament,
news emerged about half of Brazil’s twelve stadiums
delay after a crane have collapsed onto the
stadium and builders fell to his death from
the roof top, prompting the Brazil high
court to halt the stadium construction.
This has further pushed the finish
date to mid-April, barely six weeks
till the grand opening match (Brazil
A ‘rush job’ as many described it. International
focuses on Brazil have never been as high before,
piling extra pressure on the government to correct the
situation. Earlier in 2013, during the confederation
cup – a curtain raiser, demonstration of protests have
swept across the nation to express their frustration in
the lack of basic infrastructures such as
transportation and health centre instead of hosting an
expensive world tournament.
In fact, it wouldn’t have grown as fast and sharp as it
is now. Entrepreneurships and infrastructures would
have taken place gradually over the course of the
next ten, twenty years according to the country’s
needs. But Brazil as a nation must now take
advantage of this prospect and establish a strong
relationship with foreign businessmen and to improve
the whole standard of the country from
telecommunications through to transportation and
English speaking standards in order compete with
other tourist’s destination.
This occasion will no matter be a once in a life time
opportunity to unite the nation who grew up with
glimmers of hope of witnessing the triumph on home
soil, but will this be a win or lose situation for a
country which is in its current state? Only time can tell
the truth about this joyful event and as a
passionate football fan, I have my utter
faith in Germany to triumph since their
last in 1990.
20. 38 3938
Sponsored by
Dr. Simon SHEN, WHKPASS Advisor
(The Univerity of Warwick International Office)
Our Team
CHIEF EDITOR
Christopher Li
HEAD OF DESIGN
Valerie Man
EDITORIAL TEAM
Celine Chiu
Esther Cheung
Harold Lai
Brian Liu
Ka Ming Mak
George Teo
DESIGN TEAM
Lucas Chan
Aaron Chu
Horatio Luk
Wendy Man
