Opinion | Hong Kong should not be rewarding people who snitch on neighbours

While updating laws to punish abuse of public housing is welcome, encouraging snitching will have ripple effects elsewhere

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A pedestrian checks his phone near a public housing estate at Ngau Tau Kok on January 15. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 9:30am, 20 Jan 2025

I grew up in times when telling on others was not encouraged. “Snitches get stitches”, as the saying goes.

But then, my peers and I were also taught that some behaviours must be reported, and to the right people. When someone was in harm’s way, we were taught to “tell”, trusting that the person we told would intervene and prevent some eventual negative outcome.

To tackle abuse of public housing and shorten the waiting time for public housing flats, Hong Kong’s authorities have started a reward programme for informants who help the government reclaim public rental homes which have been misused. For reporting public housing abuse that eventually leads to the confiscation of the flats because of misuse, residents are rewarded with HK$3,000 (US$385).

That might sound pretty straightforward. Misusing public housing for financial gain or hoarding public resources when you no longer need them because you are well-off enough to have a separate place to live are behaviours that should be punished.

There is little debate over that. It seems clear that law-abiding citizens should report suspected cases to the government so they can be investigated and public resources be reallocated to those who need them. And with the new reward system in place, informants can also see some benefit from contributing to the public good.

Obvious lawbreakers, such as the people who have turned their flats into gyms, beauty parlours, tutorial centres and traditional Chinese medicine clinics, should be kicked out and punished for their illegal acts.