China's Lunar New Year holiday (February 6-12 this year) is the time for grand celebrations, and for people to take a rest after slogging tirelessly for a year. But for Meng Hao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the local political advisory body, it did not turn out to be the quiet holiday he'd hoped for. His nightmare began when he lost 6,000 yuan ($845) in Shenzhen, a prosperous business hub in Guangdong, on February 9. Meng was angry because he thought the money could only have been stolen at the city's railway station, where the security system has a reputation for being weak. However, what really riled Meng was that the police had neither given an answer to his complaint nor taken any remedial measure for almost half a month after he reported the theft. Frustrated, Meng took it upon himself to carry out his own investigation on February 24 and tracked down a dozen people who he said were "highly probable" thieves.

He subsequently submitted a report to the government of Shenzhen, in which he questioned the efficiency of the local police authorities. Meng's independent investigation has sparked much public debate.

Those opposed to Meng's course of action ask whether he would have given equal attention to the railway station's public security issue, if he had not had his wallet stolen there?

Meng argued that his stolen property was the result of a malfunctioning law enforcement department. "As a common citizen, I have the right to claim my property back, and as a political advisor, I am entitled to supervise the government on behalf of the people," he said. Meng thought his action was a way to perform his duty through finding the facts about how his wallet had gone missing.

Those in favor of Meng's proactive efforts say he is lifting the lid on public security problems at the bustling railway station in order to get the attention of senior department officials who are powerful enough to direct change. In fact, defenders of Meng's actions say the CPPCC Charter states that political advisors have the right to solicit public opinions and to make suggestions to government departments in the form of submitting proposals or lodging complaints.

The 50-year-old Meng was elected a member of the Standing Committee the 11th CPPCC Guangdong Provincial Committee in January 2008, and is an advisor known for his political awareness and high profile in the media. He was selected by the local biweekly magazine, South Winds, as "Person of the Year for Public Interests" in 2006.

Model advisor

Kang Jin (Qilu Evening News): We are not expecting Meng Hao to catch thieves at the railway station, but his initiative, which has, more or less, exposed loopholes in the security system, should be encouraged. Meng's 6,000 yuan may not be a big sum of money for him, but he is exerting all his political influence in calling for better security situation at the railway station, where thousands of people pass through daily and the opportunity for crime is high.

As a matter of fact, politicians in the West often use the art of political performance as a campaign tactic, as witnessed with a certain U.S. presidential candidate who became a temporary waiter at a fast food restaurant to demonstrate his close link with the people. At election time parliamentarians try by every means possible to catch the public's eyes via unconventional campaigning. By comparison, Chinese officials and political representatives seem modest in making suggestions and proceed quietly through democratic consultation. In this sense, Meng is a bit of a maverick. By making a stand, his influence has somehow expanded and that effect cannot be matched by words.

Hao Han (Yangtze Evening Post): Meng Hao's initiative has shown there is a new way to carry out supervision, which has further raised people's political awareness. During the sessions of lawmaking and political advisory bodies, participants mainly discuss issues on a set agenda. But if they can put themselves in reality, they will easily find more problems and, as a result, raise more practical and farsighted suggestions to government operations.

The fact that Meng's money was stolen and he spent a day gathering information about who could have stolen it is convincing enough to motivate police authorities to make immediate improvements to the security management system of the Shenzhen Railway Station.

Wang Gangyi (Legal Daily): Meng Hao's efforts are not only aimed at claiming his lost money. His ultimate goal is to give more useful advice for the improvement of governance.

Besides reporting for meetings and collective deliberation, political advisors may also get closer to the public to find social ills and to offer solutions independently.

Meng's questions received a swift response once they reached a higher authority. Since many problems sometimes cannot be easily noticed by government departments due to bureaucratic procedures, people's political representatives, who are authorized to supervise using the law and have more access to the top leadership, should serve as a link between the government and the public. When political advisors or lawmakers, along with the media, listen to housewives' complaints about inflating prices, it draws them closer to the common people. More importantly, a variety of public opinions will ensure a wide participation in democratic administration and help shape a more positive interactive mechanism.

Wang Xuejin (www.scol.com.cn): A major function of the CPPCC is to solicit public opinions and submit proposals after comprehensive studies and feasibility research.

In fact, a few political advisors could launch investigations on their own like Meng Hao. In most cases, dozens of them will gather to travel to several locations without looking deep into the real issues on the ground.

Meng's proposal must be a feasible and persuasive one because it is based on first-hand data and extensive truth. From this perspective, Meng is a good example for other advisors to follow.

Stick to your own business

Sun Ruizhuo (Legal Daily): As a political advisor at the provincial level, Meng Hao deserves praise due to his strong sense of responsibility and high legal awareness. His bold move has, to some extent, raised public attention and government concern.

It is known that travelers in transit are often being harmed or their property stolen due to inadequate security and passing through the Shenzhen Railway Station is no exception.

It will take an effective legal mechanism and a responsible law enforcement team to eventually resolve the problem. Meng, as an individual advisor, is powerless to fundamentally change the whole. It could see dramatic improvement in the first several days, but previous experiences prove that it wouldn't last long.

It's better for Meng to devote his time and energy to helping the establishment of a system, under which the government departments concerned must actively respond to public requests, and adopt proper methods to ensure travelers' safety and pleasant trips.

Dan Chun (Nanning Evening News): It may be more effective to look into the system. Poor security performance is necessarily caused by loopholes in the law enforcement system.

Despite his "suspicious" results at the railway station, Meng Hao actually found nothing substantially convincing there after six hours of "investigations."

Meng should rather stick to studying the rules of the security management network in the area or to visiting neighboring residents and workers for true public opinions.

Ye Chuanlong (www. cnhubei.com): Police officers are blamed for their negligence and the slow response to Meng Hao's questioning. It seems that the local security network needs to be enhanced, even though the crime rate is dropping year on year. Poor security performance still plagues a majority of China's railway stations.

On the other hand, political advisors are elected to give good suggestions on how the police should do their jobs rather than doing the jobs for police officers. Meanwhile, Meng's report to Shenzhen city leaders may increase administrative costs on addressing this issue.

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