杜葉錫恩辭世 成就遺愛香江

<轉載自2015年12月10日 明報 社評>

對於杜葉錫恩辭世，新一代或許感受不多，僅視為一名政治取態保守的過氣政治人物離去而已。不過，對40歲以上的人而言，杜葉錫恩在殖民地政府年代代表的是公義、民主等象徵，特別是當時基層和弱勢社群備受忽略，甚至飽遭欺壓，她卻不畏權勢，抱打不平，挺身為民請命，推動社會變革，使人記憶深刻。另外，殖民地政府成立廉政公署肅貪倡廉，使香港成為較公平合理的社會，杜葉錫恩在其中擔當了促進角色。杜葉錫恩對她熱愛的這片土地，作出過不可磨滅的貢獻；她的離去，牽動老一輩市民的追思和懷念。

英人身分獨一無二 抱打不平挺身為民

上世紀60、70年代，殖民地政府對香港社會嚴加控制，即使是壓力團體，從民間到官方都視為異端。當時，葉錫恩還未與杜學魁結婚，不過兩人志同道合，在基層市民聚居的觀塘辦學校，並積極參與社會活動。1966年的天星小輪加價事件，葉錫恩就走到最前頭，收集到數以萬計市民反對，並與領頭的青年等人互動。另外，當時社會貪污腐敗成風，善良市民飽受惡勢力和警方欺壓，事態牽涉許多人的切身利益，特別是當時的警隊兵賊難分，打貪即是打破他們的飯碗，或會招來打壓，但是葉錫恩敢於冒險犯難，在本港甚至到倫敦推動反貪污部門脫離警隊。後來，港督麥理浩成立廉政公署專門肅貪，與葉錫恩的推動有很大關係。

杜葉錫恩擔任市政局議員約30年，她善用議員身分，堅持接見市民，處理對政府部門的投訴。當時，政府官員見到個案與葉錫恩有關都不敢怠慢，體現她捍衛基層和弱勢社群利益而挑戰政府的勇氣。另外，那時的市政局議員是唯一開放選舉的政治職位，杜葉錫恩藉着這個平台推動民主政制，可是殖民地政府不肯放權，成果有限，最多只能靠她躬親力行，在社會上撒下民主種子。民主派陣營有多位參政至位居立法會議員的人士，就是受到葉錫恩感召或協助扶持的結果，他們之中已有人因為年齡漸長而退居二線了。

杜葉錫恩為基層打拼的年代，即使壓力團體也被認為「搞搞震」、「擾亂人心」，她卻按自己方式縱橫政界和社會活動，與英國人身分有莫大關係。當時，殖民地政府對她跟監不在話下，但由於葉錫恩是英國人，與英國政壇有聯繫，殖民地政府不敢對她妄加打壓，而是在政治上不讓她更上層樓，例如不委任為立法局議員等。不過，在政治權力由殖民地政府一把抓的年代，葉錫恩算是異數，不僅無損其影響力，反而使她有更多機會發光發熱。

晚年的杜葉錫恩，在政治上被認為趨向保守，繼而發展至與民主派格格不入。熟識葉的人說，她在1992年，末代港督彭定康來港任職之後轉趨保守，原因是她認為鴉片戰爭不道德，英國把香港列作殖民地也是錯誤的；她在港為基層市民服務，基本上是出於一種贖罪心理，而香港回歸中國之前5年，彭定康來港搞非殖民化，按葉錫恩的認知是彭定康不僅會拆毀原先中英商議好的過渡安排，以英國在其他國家撤退前搞非殖民化的往績，她認為會在香港留下一些負面因素，其後產生不良影響。不過，當時的民主派與彭定康聯成一氣，葉錫恩的「憂港論」沒有太大市場。

杜葉錫恩的政治取態，最後與民主派分道揚鑣，隨着她的辭世，是非曲直俱往矣！有一點可以肯定是，即使不同意葉錫恩的「憂港論」，但是大家都不會懷疑她的動機，更加不會認為她取態轉變有私心，或為牟取政治利益。這麼說，是因為葉錫恩數十年往績予人的信心。事實上，回歸之後，她除了做過一年臨時立法會議員，協助香港平穩過渡，卻看不到她得到什麼利益。因此，葉錫恩的無私，可以肯定。

從政風格撫今追昔 杜葉錫恩值得參照

另外，杜葉錫恩認為民主需要包容和妥協，近年她甚至說過「若你不能妥協，就不要沾手政治」。葉錫恩的從政生涯，大多數時間獨立特行，不過在數十年來的包容和妥協，她取得備受肯定的成就。在專權獨裁的殖民地政府年代，葉錫恩衝擊體制，推動進步，取得成果，主要是她着眼解決問題，知道妥協就可以達至成果。這對現在的政治生態有對照作用。目前政界掀起歪風，有議員以事事破壞為尚，以拖垮問題的解決為榮；試看昨日立法會流會，有議員不諱言視為樂事。目前立法會缺乏包容、以我為尊，完全排拒不同意見的取態和做法，已經成為議事堂的夢魘，竟然有議員對議會亂象樂在其中；可以預見的是，若他們這樣繼續搞下去，從政取得的成就，肯定不可能與葉錫恩比肩。

Elsie Hume Elliot Tu's legacy

THE PASSING of Elsie Hume Elliot Tu might not have evoked much feeling in the younger generation. After all, she was regarded by them as merely a conservative politician long past her time of influence. But to those who are forty or older, Elsie Hume Tu was the embodiment of justice, democracy and other values. Particularly noteworthy was her fearlessness when facing the powerful and her determination to stand up for the weak, at a time when the needs of the grass roots and the less privileged were ignored. Elsie Hume Tu was a champion of social change, and her legacy has left people with a deep impression.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the colonial government began to tighten its grip on Hong Kong society. Pressure groups were frowned upon by not only the government, but also the ordinary people. Elsie Hume, who had not married Andrew Tu Hsueh-kwei yet at the moment, was already working with Tu with one heart nevertheless. Together they helped build a school in Kwun Tong, which was then inhabited by many of the grass roots. They devoted themselves to social activism. The year 1966 saw the Star Ferry fare rise incident. Elsie Hume was at the forefront of the campaign against the rise. She succeeded in collecting tens of thousands of signatures. She also interacted with the young people leading the campaign. And that was a time of rampant corruption. Good people were oppressed by not only the bad, but also the police. Many people's immediate interests were intricately linked, and the police force was, in particular, made up of law enforcers and lawbreakers alike. To combat corruption was to threaten their livelihood, and one might have risked their reprisal by doing so. Elsie Hume, nevertheless, was indomitable. She rose to the challenge and campaigned for an anti-corruption agency independent of the police force. She not only did her campaigning in Hong Kong, but also in London. Later, Crawford Murray MacLehose, the then Hong Kong governor, founded the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), tasking it with the responsibility to combat corruption. Elsie Hume's campaigning played a huge part in the ICAC's establishment.

Elsie Hume was a member of the Urban Council for around 30 years. She made good use of her capacity, persisting in meeting the people and handling their complaints against government departments. At that time, cases handled by Elsie Hume were all taken seriously by government officials. This is a reflection of her courage to stand up for ordinary people and the less privileged, as well as her bravery when challenging the government.

Elsie Hume Tu believed that tolerance and compromise were necessary to achieve democracy. She said in recent years, '"If you cannot compromise, stay away from politics." During most of her life as a politician, she acted independently, staying true to her values. However, the tolerance and compromise she exhibited over the past decades also contributed to her achievements, which are widely recognised. In the colonial era, when the government was oppressive and dictatorial, Elsie Hume brought about an impact to the establishment and promoted social progress. The reason why she achieved so much was that she concentrated on solving problems, at the same time knowing that she would succeed if she knew how to compromise. This gives us food for thought considering the political ecology today. Hong Kong politics is experiencing an undesirable trend, as there are lawmakers who are bent on obstructing the work of the government, thinking that by delaying problem-solving they are doing a glorious thing. We do not need to look further than what happened yesterday, when the Legislative Council had to suspend its session. One lawmaker even had the effrontery to say that he was pleased with what had happened. Today's Legislative Council is lacking in tolerance. Its members are too self-centred to accept other views and practices, making the legislative chamber a place of nightmares. And some lawmakers take great pleasure in seeing that. It can be foreseen that these people's achievements will not be comparable to those of Elsie Hume if they carry on messing around.

杜葉錫恩辭世 成就遺愛香江

對於杜葉錫恩辭世，新一代或許感受不多，僅視為一名政治取態保守的過氣政治人物離去而已。不過，對40歲以上的人而言，杜葉錫恩在殖民地政府年代代表的是公義、民主等象徵，特別是當時基層和弱勢社群備受忽略，甚至飽遭欺壓，她卻不畏權勢，抱打不平，挺身為民請命，推動社會變革，使人記憶深刻。

上世紀60、70年代，殖民地政府對香港社會嚴加控制，即使是壓力團體，從民間到官方都視為異端。當時，葉錫恩還未與杜學魁結婚，不過兩人志同道合，在基層市民聚居的觀塘辦學校，並積極參與社會活動。1966年的天星小輪加價事件，葉錫恩就走到最前頭，收集到數以萬計市民反對，並與領頭的青年等人互動。另外，當時社會貪污腐敗成風，善良市民飽受惡勢力和警方欺壓，事態牽涉許多人的切身利益，特別是當時的警隊兵賊難分，打貪即是打破他們的飯碗，或會招來打壓，但是葉錫恩敢於冒險犯難，在本港甚至到倫敦推動反貪污部門脫離警隊。後來，港督麥理浩成立廉政公署專門肅貪，與葉錫恩的推動有很大關係。

杜葉錫恩擔任市政局議員約30年，她善用議員身分，堅持接見市民，處理對政府部門的投訴。當時，政府官員見到個案與葉錫恩有關都不敢怠慢，體現她捍衛基層和弱勢社群利益而挑戰政府的勇氣。

另外，杜葉錫恩認為民主需要包容和妥協，近年她甚至說過「若你不能妥協，就不要沾手政治」。葉錫恩的從政生涯，大多數時間獨立特行，不過在數十年來的包容和妥協，她取得備受肯定的成就。在專權獨裁的殖民地政府年代，葉錫恩衝擊體制，推動進步，取得成果，主要是她着眼解決問題，知道妥協就可以達至成果。這對現在的政治生態有對照作用。目前政界掀起歪風，有議員以事事破壞為尚，以拖垮問題的解決為榮；試看昨日立法會流會，有議員不諱言視為樂事。目前立法會缺乏包容、以我為尊，完全排拒不同意見的取態和做法，已經成為議事堂的夢魘，竟然有議員對議會亂象樂在其中；可以預見的是，若他們這樣繼續搞下去，從政取得的成就，肯定不可能與葉錫恩比肩。