Cooking on the Street

My wife and I walked leisurely from Quarry Bay to Causeway Bay on Sunday, after having a good meal in a small Nyonya restaurant.  On the way, we passed by a lot of presumably Indonesian domestic workers having a day off near Victoria Park.   I was struck by the realisation of so many of them selling food boiling in pots set on small gas stoves. 

Isn’t it illegal? Not too long ago it caused quite an uproar when the government prosecuted vigorously street vendors hawking exactly that - food being cooked on open fire?  Why does the government turn a blind eye towards such large scale defiance of the law here and now?  

I am not advocating prosecution of the Indonesians.  They need a way to relax on their day off, relate to their friends and enjoy familiar food and culture.  But why such differences in treatment?  Why is the government so tolerant towards one group of people but is so harsh on another?  Is it what is called selective enforcing of the law?  Why?

On the other hand, why can’t the government turn this need of the foreign domestic helpers into something more positive?  Can we not make this into an attraction by giving them a proper venue and infrastructure - weekend Indonesian Festivals, Filipino Festivals, …   The foreign workers will be happy with better environments and facilities, and perhaps even opportunities to make some money.  Local people will be happy to have something new to do on weekends.  Tourists will be happy to have more opportunities for new experiences.  So, why not?

It cannot be a lack of will.  Our government can be very strong willed when it wants to - just note how determined it is in persecuting those who espouse any hint of independence for Hong Kong.  It also cannot be a lack of resources - our government has been running a surplus for decades!  Is it simply a lack of imagination? 

Of course it will involve some planning, and there are issues to tackle.  So it is sheer laziness?