鄧永鏘（DavidTang） 中國會、上海灘創辦人
WhenevermygrandfatherTangShiu-Kin（鄧肇堅）donatedanymoney,healwaysinsistedthatithadtobegenerouslyacknowledged.Whenthesumwassizeable,hewantedhisnameonit.Andhegothisway.TheTangShiu-KinPrimarySchool,theTangShiu-KinSecondarySchool,theTangShiu-KinDentalSchool,andofcoursethefamousTangShiu-KinHospital.Butperhapsinararemomentoflapse,heusedhisfather'snameonce-TheTangChi-NgongSpecialistClinic.AllaroundHongKong,hisnameappearsinbuildingsandotherinstitutions.Indeed,hewasmeticulouswithallofhisdonations.Hekeptacopiouslistofallofthem.Evenlai-seepacketswhichhedishedouttooldfolksatChineseNewYear-everypacketaccountedfor.Inhistime,hewasgenerousenoughtobecomeknownasoneofHongKong'sgreatestphilanthropists.Andhewasrewardedaccordingly.GongsofMBE,OBEandCBEandthenultimatelyaknighthood-notbadforsomeonewholeftschoolearlywithoutmuch.
Didanyoneobjecttohismaniafornamingbuildingsafterhimselforostentatiousengravingonplaques?No-notasfarasIknow.Onthecontrary,athisfuneral,thousandsfromhundredsofinstitutionswhichbenefitedfromhisdonationspaidhomage.Thepolice,agreatbeneficiary,closedtheEasternCorridorforourcortegetogothewrongwayinagreatprocession.NotevenagovernororarealbigshotinHongKonghadeverbeentreatedwithsuchsolemnrespect.Yet,inaway,itwasrespectforaslightlyvulgarwayofcharitabledonations.Nonetheless,scoresofHongKongpeopleenjoyedandcontinuetoenjoyhisgenerosity-andIamallforit,andproudtobe.
NowpoorLiKa-Shingcoughsupabillion,andallhegetsisdisrespectandrebuke.Whatistheworldcomingto?Noticehowallthosewhoobjectvehementlytoabuildingbeingnamedafterhimarethosewhohavenevertriedtoraiseanythingforcharity.Theyhavenotthefoggiestideaofhowdifficultitistoobtaindonations.Theydonotliveinarealworld.TheymustthinktheHongKongUniversityDESERVEDtobehandedoverabilliondollarsbypeoplelikeLiKa-Shing.Whatutternaivitytheylivein.Whatcompletestupidity.Andgrossingratitude.Letthemtryraisingabillionfromsomeonewhodoesn'twantanametotheirdonation.Letthemrealizehowdifficultitisevenwiththeofferofanamingrightonanybuilding-andtheywillseethebitterrealitiesofcharity.
Ihavespentyearsraisingmoney-forcancer,forDownsyndrome,forsuicide,forleprosy,forthedestitute,fortheaged,forthementallyhandicapped,foreducation,forart,formusic,formuseums-younameit,Ihavetried.Andletmetelltheseobjectinggrandeeswhositbehindacademicchairschewing陳皮梅thatgettingeventensofthousandsofdollarsisdifficult-anditisgettingmoreandmoredifficult.
Abillion?IfLiKa-ShinggavemeabillionforcausesIsupportlikecancerorDownsyndromeorhospicecare,Iwouldbepreparedtoprostratemyselfinfrontofhimandlethimwalkovermyspineandallowhimtochangemyownname,ifhesowished.AndwhyshouldtheDeanoranyoneattheHongKongUniversitybecomeremotelyapologeticaboutthiswholedonationandlettingLiKa-Shingusehisname?LamShui-Kamadmitted,"Wehavenotcollectedviewsfromthosewhoarenotstaffmembers".Frankly,nooneshouldcareifthereareabillionbucksonaplate.AndlegislatorKwokKa-Ki,leadingtheprotest,isdoingHongKongandmanystudentsagreatdisservicebytryingtobelittleagreatactofgenerosity.Heandhis29busybodiesarepathetic!Theyshouldappreciatewhatthemoneycandoforthousandsortensofthousandsofstudentswhoaregoingtobenefitfromthenewmedicalschool.Howdaretheytrytostopthat-andinthenameofaname!TheymightaswellgotoprotestagainstMugabeforchanginghiscountry'snametoZimbabweoritscapitaltoHarare.Thefactofthematteristhatanameismeaninglessifwhatliesunderneathisbad.Mutatismutandis,whateverliesunderneathisgoodwillbegoodwhatevernameyoucallit.Wakeupandstandupchapsfromyourcosyarmchair-charitybeginswithcash!