You are a Young Post reporter responsible for the ‘careers’ page. You have interviewed Alan Leong who has pursued his dream career. Write an article similar to ‘Going, going, going! Sold on a career’ to introduce this career to your readers.
Serving the Public – Alan Leong
The main duties of a legislator are to enact, amend or repeal laws, to examine and approve budgets introduced by the government, to raise questions on the work of the government and to debate issue related to public interest.
Young Post meets Alan Leong, who is a member of Civic Party and now works as a legislative councilor.
Requirements
First of all, it is important for a legislator to have good personality and conduct, such as a good sense of responsibility and diligence. As a legislator, you may need to handle many things at the same time. Take Alan as an example. Not only does he need to settle the heavy workloads being a legislator, but he also needs to deal with the daily work as a Senior Counsel.
Moreover, a legislator should have a loyal heart and the passion to serve the public. You need to listen to the members of the general public and observe their lives carefully, so that you are able to discover the problems of society and the needs of the public. Then, you should aim at urging and assisting the government to tackle the problems and improve the livelihood of the citizens by devising effective measures and taking concrete actions.
Qualification
There is no specific requirement for being a legislator, but a bachelor’s degree in the area of politics or laws may help you a lot. Alan holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cambridge. Although all these help him fulfill the job as a legislator, Alan believes that the heart of serving the public is still the most important criterion that a legislator should meet.
Compensation
The monthly income of a legislator is about HK$70,000 to HK$90,000. Also a legislator can enjoy medical allowance of HK$28,020 each year to cover his medical expense.
Alan’s mission as a legislative councilor
Alan continues to try his best to abide by his promises to the public and fight for entire democracy by urging the government to introduce political reforms.