He is always the leading figure among demonstrators; he is famous for being tough and difficult; no one had ever expected to see him being well-received in the past: these are descriptions of ‘Long Hair’ Kwok-hung Leung. Leung has been a legislator for four years and he is a rather controversial figure.
When it comes to Leung, people will think of ‘trouble-maker’ and ‘spoilsport’ at once. This is because Leung is a veteran of demonstrations and protests, and he is well-known for his radical behaviour. Most people look down on him and some even regard him as ‘a disgrace to Hong Kong’ due to his ‘uncivilised’ behaviour.
I will not deny that Leung is too radical sometimes, yet we cannot jump to a conclusion by just looking at one side of something.
Leung lives in a public housing flat like other grass-roots: that makes him know very well about the life of these people. Leung’s achievement is indeed a great inspiration to us, since it proves that Hong Kong is full of possibilities and hope. Leung’s background is never attractive, yet such a person is able to have a share in the decision-making of one of the world’s greatest cosmopolitan cities.
Some people argue that Leung does not have any contribution to the Legislative Council since he always misbehaves and is ordered to leave the Legislative Council chamber by the chair. Everything has two sides: on the one hand, he is always forced out of the chamber; on the other hand, he does try his best to defend the interest of the grass-roots when he is there in the chamber. His endurance in helping the needy is indeed commendable.
Despite public prejudice, Leung manages to withstand it and keep on standing up for what is right. Our society needs people like him, as politicians are all working for their own interest rather than the public’s interest. These politicians are merely paying lip service to the cause of the public.
Inspiring people requires much more than words, but also actions; words alone cannot inspire the others. Our society has enough ‘sea-green incorruptible’, and we just need someone who can really get things done instead of simply getting them said.
I am not one of the grass-roots, yet Leung can still inspire me. People around always think that problems in our society will be solved by someone else so they tend not to participate much in improving society. This eventually develops into an inertia which hinders the advancement of our society. Leung’s radical acts unfold the fundamental problems of our city and remind me of the importance of caring more about my home city. I once believed that I was living in a ‘perfect’ cosmopolitan city as the government and people around said. Thanks to ‘Long Hair’, I started to keep a closer eye on things about my beloved city. I am determined to do as much as I can in order to keep this city great instead of standing aside and leaving it to the others.
I have started paying more attention to the news every day. There are always unjust things happening around us. They will never be solved unless we are aware of them and do something in response. Since ‘Long Hair’ has inspired me, I have decided to follow ‘Long Hair’. I start by looking for these unfortunate events every day and trying to think of a solution for them. Then, I try to voice my opinion by different means such as forums on the Net and the government’s e-petition system. I try to actively participate in improving our society more like him as I just cannot stand the decline of a city which I believe should be more prestigious. Thanks to ‘Long Hair’ again, I have a great aim.