DavidTang（鄧永鏘）
OnesingleeventoccurringinHongKongcan,atastroke,overnight,instantly,turntheWestKowloonprojectintoonewhichnoonewouldobjecttoandeveryonewouldbehappyabout-notevenLeeWing-tatwouldwanttoobject,andthethreateninglocalstreetperformerwouldbepersuadedtodesistfromapplyingforajudicialreview.
Allthesubmissionsforthecurrentconsultationwillimmediatelybecomepositivewithhardlyonecriticism.Nopoliticianwillgoontheairorwritearticlesinobjection.TungChee-hwawillbedelightedasthismassiveschemeisrealized;hisGovernmentwillbreatheasignofrelief,particularlyDonaldTsangwhohasbeengiventheunenviabletaskofpickingupthepiecesofthewholemessyprocess.TheLegislativeCouncilwillvotetheschemethrough;therewillbe,forthefirsttimeinalongtime,nodissentingvote.AllthepoliticiansandpoliticalpartiesinHongKongwillbeapplaudingoratleastacquiescing.Thepopulationatlargewillbepleasedthatafirstrateculturalcentreisbeingbuilt.
Thoseinterestedinculturewillbeespeciallythrilled,andwillnotcomplainnormoananymore.Onthecontrary,theywillbejumpingforjoy.Theywillthrow"theircapsastheywouldhangthemonthehornsofthemoon",asShakespearedescribedinCoriolanus.Teachersatschoolwillbelookingforwardtotakingtheirclassestothesefirstratemuseums.Touristchiefswillberubbingtheirhandsataniconwithwhichtoattractmillionsmorevisitors.HongKong'sPRmachinerywillbeintopgearboastingoftheuniquenessofthisculturalnucleusintheFarEast,andallofuswillbeproudoftheachievementofaworld-classlandmark.Allthebusinessmenintheterritorywillbecelebratingwiththeprospectofahighlystimulatedeconomyasaresultofthisgiganticproject.Retailerswillbeflockingtotheperipheralattractionsoftheculturaldevelopment.
TheskylineofKowloonwillgiveHongKongviewers,finally,somethingtopointtoandexclaim-inparticularatnightwhentheFostereancanopy,floatinglikeasweepingdragon,islitupacrosstheshimmeringwatersoftheharbour.Theoutsideworldwillalsobeimpressed-headlineswillbemade-allthegoodheadlinesthatthisGovernmenteverwants.AfteralltheproblemsofSARSanddemonstrationsanddeficitsandwhat-have-you-anexcellentperceptionwillbegraspedandadmiredbytheworld,onceagainpitchingHongKongasanoutstandingexampleoflegendaryenergyandentrepreneurismandcommitmentandenterprise,andmostofall,asupremespiritofgenerosity.
Why?BecauseallofthesegoodthingsIhavementioned,andmygod,don'tweneedthisharmoniousandtotallyup-beatandfeel-goodeventtoshoutabout-allofthesecouldhappeninreality.ThereisonemaninHongKongwhocandothisandheiscertainlycapableofit.What'smore,heiseminentlyqualifiedforheenshrinesallthebestattributesofthesuccessofHongKong.So,allthatisneededisforMrLiKa-Shing,inwinningtheWestKowloonbid,todonateHK$4billiontowardsthebuildingandsustainingofournewculturalcentrewhich,Isuggest,couldthenbecalledWestKa-ShingorLiKowloon!
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