南華早報的訪問

LIFECITY 南華早報 2008-05-22

Virtual agenda -katie lau

Brian Wong Sze-leuk seems politically well-connected in a city where personal contacts count. He can call at least 10 Hong Kong politicians friends with whom he can discuss current affairs and mutual interests and perhaps influence their agendas. But Wong is no schmoozing lobbyist on the cocktail-party fringes of the Legislative Council. The 29-year-old dotcom investor has no political affiliations other than an interest in talking to the increasing number of Hong Kong legislators and opinion leaders on Facebook. Local politicians of many persuasions have woken up to the benefits of the popular social-networking website. A Facebook profile costs nothing and is a cost-effective way to disseminate information and receive feedback. MySpace is also popular but League of Social Democrats chairman Raymond Wong Yuk-man says he devotes less energy to other forums and websites since he started getting feedback on Facebook. Long Hair Leung Kwok-hung and Emily Lau Wai-hing of the Frontier Party also present themselves to Facebook's mainly young, computer-literate audience. So have Lee Wing-tat and Albert Ho Chun-yan of the Democratic Party and Tsang Yok-sing, former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong. The Civic Party also invites Facebookers to correspond with Alan Leong Kah-kit and Ronny Tong Ka-wah. The network is easy to use, says 25-year-old Young Civics chairman Thomas Yu Kwun-wai, whose organisation has created support groups and connected with volunteers through Facebook. The system also makes political issues more interesting, says Civic Party leader Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, a regular network user. You can make something serious look fun on Facebook, she says. There's life to it. It warms my heart to connect with people with similar values. But former legislator Lo Wing-lok would rather use the network for small talk with friends than to push his political agenda. I never thought it'd be so much fun, he says. But I am less motivated to use it to advance my causes because I think Facebook is not often frequented by people interested in politics. Some Hong Kong politicians use their profiles to post their credentials and views; others present a gentler side. Former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee is pictured on her personal page stroking her cat with a subtle smile, while her interest groups reveal part of the Savantas Policy Institute chairwoman's life beyond politics: that she enjoys wine, countryside photography and scrambled eggs at a Jordan eatery. Ip's assistants have updated the site's content since it was set up last October and have compiled a 2,500-strong friends list, her publicist says. Raymond Wong's associates say he has 3,500 Facebook friends and 100 volunteers. Both politicians' offices say their leaders reply to messages themselves. Hong Kong cyber-surfers are surprised to hear from prominent politicians, however. Thanks for adding me, one user wrote on the wall of the politician who accepted his friend request. I just realised that many Hong Kong politicians have Facebook accounts, too, and so I search each one to see if they will bother to add me. Cyrus Siu credits Facebook for turning him into a fervent Ip supporter. I was intrigued at first and got to know her more as we discussed important issues on Facebook, and I found we have a lot in common, says the 27-year-old human resources officer, who regularly participates at Ip's gatherings and volunteered for her re-election campaign last December. It's thrilling to meet her in person. We're like friends now. I don't think I'd be doing all this if Facebook hadn't come along. But it only works if both parties are actively involved. It takes two to tango, says Siu. Brian Wong says the network's dialogues could be a boon to what he calls cyber-democracy. It can have a huge political impact if everyone is aware of its power, he says. It could hit people on a global scale. It's easy to find each other. Many people use their real names and the quality of discussion is better on Facebook than on other forums or websites, where people attack each other under an alias. It's very conducive to political discussion. The system could also engage politically apathetic younger people, says Brian Wong. If they join groups that concern their interests, they'll eventually develop an interest in political discussion, as everything is related to politics. That would be a good way for them to get started. Yet the system's users can only communicate on a superficial level, says Lingnan University cultural studies lecturer Ip Iam-chong. It's hard to study problems in depth there, says the academic and editor of independent media website inmediahk.net. It might work as a platform to make a simple announcement urging people to vote, but no more than that. Politicians could also damage their political image if they failed to maintain their Facebook profiles, says City University political analyst James Sung Lap-kung. It's a double-edged sword, he says. You'd give a poor impression if you opened an account and didn't update it. You have to sustain your profile to show you're keeping pace with society. But only those with abundant resources can keep up a good-looking profile. And although he recognises that everyone in local politics seems to have their account now, he says the network is unlikely to swing the results of September's Legislative Council election. To win an election you have to appeal to the middle-aged and the underprivileged, too, who do not have access to the internet, but I'd still say [the network] has a positive impact on engaging young people in political affairs. Facebook also leaves politicians open to mudslinging, even though some say they let it be. I am trying to keep my platform as open as possible because I believe in freedom of expression, says Raymond Wong, whose account was disabled for no apparent reason last month. Siu's profile was axed in February after a user accused him of sending spam. He later blocked the user from sending him messages and hopes to put the dispute to rest. But he looks forward to the next Facebook gathering next month, a karaoke competition. I suggested this idea out of the blue, says Siu. I am glad they like it. It's a great chance to meet my like-minded friends again.