Patrick Ho spoke to members of DSOBA on 20th October, 2003 as the second guest speaker of the "Prominent Old Boy" speakers series this year. This is another full house event after we hosted Michael Tien (67) on 3rd July. We were particularly encouraged by the presence of old boys from classes 1960 to 1995!

Patrick came prepared with Powerpoint slides to explain the diverse and demanding scope of responsibilities under his charge as Secretary for Home Affairs since July 2002. Such preparation is another sign of excellence following his enviable achievements in music and arts, ophthalmology and education.

When asked about how he was invited to this important role, Patrick shared with us the little known fact of his long relationship with CH Tung and as the Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute under Yip Kwok Wah.

The table of 1960's old boys were especially effervescent in posing a few challenging questions to Patrick as we enjoyed the candid discussions covering topics such as the West Kowloon Development, Equal Opportunities Commission, concerns of the middle-class, the ministerial system, the importance of Hong Kong people to get involved in shaping the future of Hong Kong...

Patrick concluded his talk by highlighting the importance of making Hong Kong a fun place to work, live, eat and play. As Hong Kong residents grow and become successful, a lot of us continue to choose Hong Kong as our home because it is fun. As DBS old boys, we know what fun means. We look upon Patrick to help keep Asia's World City the place to be.

by George Hongchoy (79)