政壇：睇社論學英文

海難報告走過場 官官相護何時了

The Lamma ferry inquiry report is a mere formality. When will bureaucrats stop covering for one another?

港府公布去年「十一」南丫島撞船事故調查報告，這宗奪去三十九條寶貴生命的嚴重海難真相大白，當日撞船只是連串人為錯誤的最後結果，如水密艙不合格，船上大量座椅鬆脫，未有按規定配置足夠救生衣，連串人為錯誤，造成無法挽回的後果。

表面上，港府擺出一副亡羊補牢姿態，宣布成立海事處制度改革督導委員會，全方位檢討海事處管理、發牌規管及執法巡查等範疇，這些花招其實旨在引導公眾向前看，轉移追究撞船責任焦點。更不堪的是，海事處處長在記者會上自吹自擂，聲稱在海難之後已做了一些改善安全措施，包括檢查全港三百多艘渡輪和小輪水密艙，以及救生衣設施等。這些維護海事安全的例行公事，竟然變成邀功的德政，官員文過飾非，當局所謂改革海事處以恢復市民信心，看來只是一場虛應民情的公關把戲。

錯而不改，是謂過矣。撞船慘劇導致多少大好家庭遽失至親，調查報告揪出事故禍首，本有機會還死傷者公道，可是當局高高舉起，輕輕放下，一味諉過制度缺失，根本就是拒絕承擔責任。官僚冷漠若此，就算提出多項防止事故重演建議，恐怕也是枉費心機。

With the Government's release of the report by the Commission of Inquiry into the Collision of Vessels near Lamma Island on 1 October 2012, the whole truth of the marine accident costing 39 precious lives has eventually come out. The Commission pointed out that the tragedy had been the result of a series of mistakes, such as questionable watertight bulkheads, loosely attached deck seats and incompliance with the stipulated number of lifejackets. The litany of human errors led irreversibly to a fatal consequence.

On the surface, the Government assumes the posture of repairing the stable after the horses have escaped, and announces that a steering committee will be set up to oversee a systemic reform in the Marine Department. The management, licensing control, ship inspection and law enforcement of the Department will all be reviewed. These are actually just gimmicks luring the public into looking forward, so that they would no longer focus on who should bear the responsibility for the accident. What is even more abhorrent is that the Director of Marine blew his own trumpet at the press conference, claiming that a number of safety improvement measures had already been put in place after the sea tragedy, such as inspecting the watertight cabins and lifejackets of over 300 ferries and vessels in the territory. These were in fact routine tasks for assuring marine safety, but the Director went so far as to take credit for such “benevolent initiatives”. While government officials gloss over their faults, the administration's so-called Marine Department reform may merely be a public-relations gesture that attempts to pacify the people and restore their confidence.

It is a mistake not to right a wrong. Many happy families lost their loved ones in the disaster. By ferreting out the culprits, it would have been possible for the Commission's report to give justice to the dead and injured in the vessels collision. However, the Government forgoes the opportunity lightly and insists on passing the buck to the flaws in the system, refusing downright to shoulder the responsibility. With such indifferent bureaucrats, the recommendations put forward for preventing a recurrence of such accidents may all be in vain.

重要生字

repair the stable after the horses have escaped 亡羊補牢

blow one's own trumpet 自吹自擂

gloss over one's faults 文過飾非