Civil servants must speak with caution: Ingrid Yeung
Civil service secretary Ingrid Yeung on Saturday said civil servants must speak with utmost caution, as members of the public may associate their comments with their official role.  Her remarks came after the government unveiled a plan to update the Civil Service Code to highlight the need for public officers to safeguard the country's sovereignty and national security.  The draft new Civil Service Code, which includes 12 core values and standards of conduct, also states that civil servants must not refuse to implement government policies they do not agree with, or adopt a passive attitude in implementing them. Speaking on a radio programme, Yeung said it goes without saying that government workers have the responsibility to protect Hong Kong, and the country's interests. "This is not an ordinary job. Civil servants are not ordinary employees. We are the employees of the SAR government, and the SAR is part of the nation, so we have the responsibility to safeguard the constitutional order and national security,” she said.  The civil service minister also pointed out that government staff unions are still free to express their views on issues related to employees' welfare in future.