Ethnic minorities are also an important part of Hong Kong, and participating in the Legislative Council (LegCo) election is also related to their vital interests. Some ethnic minority first-time voters told Wen Wei Po that, as part of Hong Kong society, they would cast their sacred vote for their own future.
They also shared their observations on community and ethnic group development, hoping the future government would support the development of ethnic minority women. They look forward to the future government and LegCo members working together to promote more restaurants providing halal food with certification, thereby developing the Muslim economy.
Ethnic minority student Lee, who just turned 19 this year, is a first-year student at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has already registered as a voter. Speaking about this Legislative Council election, which she can participate in for the first time, she said she is satisfied with life in her community and will focus on whether the candidates' platforms mention the needs of ethnic minorities. She will also use various channels to understand the candidates' experience.
Promoting community support for ethnic minorities
For Sunny, a youth of Bangladeshi descent, the significance of voting lies in hoping to increase the connection and communication between ethnic minorities and the wider society. He also shared his personal experience with Wen Wei Po, believing that communication is extremely important for ethnic minorities to better integrate into Hong Kong society. He just graduated from university this year and, although facing the challenge of finding a job, he will take the opportunity to do more volunteer work.
"I am happy to use my expertise to help others." He hopes the seventh-term LegCo will promote more community support targeted at helping ethnic minorities integrate into society and increase connections.
Daniel, who works for a social welfare organization, is a Hong Kong-born individual of Pakistani descent. He is very concerned about this LegCo election and hopes to convey the voices of ethnic minorities to the candidates through Wen Wei Po.
According to Daniel, in many ethnic minority families, there are women who have recently arrived in Hong Kong. Due to cultural differences such as language and religious beliefs, they often stay at home, while the primary breadwinners in the family have long working hours, making it difficult for the women to integrate into society and realize their value. He hopes that in the future, districts will provide some workshops for ethnic minority women, teaching them Chinese, so that daily communication, like going to the wet market, becomes easier, allowing them to gradually integrate into society.
Social integration and development of Muslim economy
Daniel also noted that, having grown up in Hong Kong, he is pleased to see society gradually moving towards integration, especially with the recent development of the Muslim economy.
"When ethnic minorities organize events, group catering is a problem. Buffets are too expensive, and à la carte options are very limited." He particularly looks forward to the new-term LegCo members continuing to focus on promotion, so that more Hong Kong restaurants obtain halal certification, which would be more convenient for both attracting tourists and the daily lives of local ethnic minorities.
Jalal, from Bangladesh, said that he hopes this election will be highly competitive, with everyone fully demonstrating their platforms and views, allowing citizens to elect more representative members. He expects ethnic minorities in Hong Kong to actively exercise their voting rights and hopes that LegCo members will have a positive impact on the future of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
He also said that he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to vote in this election and will definitely exercise his voting right in accordance with the law, contributing his part to this election, and he calls on his friends to participate actively.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalists: Kang Jing, Zero Wong; English Editor: Darius)
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