Opinion | As Hong Kong sinks to new lows with toilet roll heist, will hardman Xia Baolong tighten Beijing’s grip on the city?

Hong Kong’s leaderless drift continues even as the city battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus and Beijing’s new appointments do not bode well

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A couple carry rolls of toilet paper on February 14, Valentine’s Day, in Hong Kong. Photo: AP

Published: 6:15am, 20 Feb 2020Updated: 6:20am, 20 Feb 2020

Forget about being Asia’s world city. Let’s call us Asia’s woe city. It was woefully comical to read about knife-wielding masked men making off with stacks of toilet paper. Singapore, Taiwan and Macau must be sniggering at us Hongkongers.

Were the toilet roll raiders suffering stomach pains after bulk-buying frozen foods that had spoiled or were they planning to peddle their haul at inflated prices? They would have made big bucks had the police not quickly recovered the stolen goods.

Panicked people paying sky-high prices for face masks are now a common sight. Nothing shocks any more. Not even a viral video of an elderly man fighting off women for the last pack of toilet rolls in a supermarket. Where has chivalry gone?

Perhaps people should learn from India, where the traditional use of water does a much better and more hygienic job than toilet paper.

We’re always smugly told never to bet against Hong Kong. The city has shown time and again it can always bounce back from adversities. I think those days are over. Who’s going to lead the bounce-back after months of anti-government protests, followed by the coronavirus crisis? Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor? Hold the guffaws.