Good riddance. I am glad that Jay Walder will leave his job as chief executive officer of the MTR next month. His salary with bonus is about $13 million a year but most people agree the MTR's services worsened rather than improved under him. A few months ago, the MTR said he would remain as CEO until August next year. But the MTR has now said he will leave next month. Did he jump or was he pushed? Will he get a golden handshake? The expression "golden handshake" means to give a person a large amount of money when he leaves a company, especially if he is forced to leave.
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id he jump or was he pushed is an expression that means did he voluntarily agree to leave or was he forced to leave? When you say "good riddance", it means you are happy to see a person you dislike leave. Some media reports said the MTR will pay Walder until August next year even though he will leave next month. This means he will get about $13 million for doing no work. The MTR has refused to say if Walder will get a $13 million golden handshake. This is unacceptable. The public has a right to know because the government owns a majority share of the MTR.
I say good riddance to Walder because last week I had to wait for four trains before I could board a train from Kowloon Tong to Shatin at 6.30 pm. All the trains were already full when they arrived at Kowloon Tong. Many were mainland tourists with large suitcases who had boarded in Hung Hom. I was 30 minutes late for my appointment. It made me very angry. Why should I have to wait for four trains yet, as a taxpayer, have to pay for Walder, transport secretary Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, and commerce minister Greg So Kam-leung to travel in private cars with drivers? Please send me an e-mail if you are angry too.
The yearly Book Fair has started. I'll be at the Sing Tao booth 1aD22 today, July 22, from 4-5 pm to sign my latest《又中又英》book. I hope to see you there.
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謝天謝地（Good riddance）！我很慶幸韋達誠下月會辭任港鐵行政總裁。他的薪酬連花紅一年就有一千三百萬，但大部份人都會認同，在他任內港鐵服務退步多於進步。幾個月前，港鐵說他會留任行政總裁至明年八月，現在卻說他下個月會離任。是他自己跳槽還是被迫退任呢（jump or was he pushed）？他會否取得a golden handshake？習語golden handshake是指當某人離職時給他一大筆退職金，尤其是他是被迫離職的話。
Did he jump or was he pushed是個習語，解作他自願抑或被強制離職？當你說good riddance，即是說你樂見一個你不喜歡的人離開。有些傳媒報道指，即使他下月離任，港鐵仍會向韋達誠支薪至下年八月。即是說，他甚麼都不用做，就可淨袋一千三百萬﹗港鐵拒絕回應韋達誠是否獲得一千三百萬解約賠償（golden handshake）。這實在不能接受！公眾有權知道，因為政府持有港鐵大部份股份。
韋達誠離職，我立即謝天謝地（good riddance），因為我上星期某天六時半，從九龍塘乘車往沙田，要等四班車才能上車。乘客有許多是從紅磡上車、拿着大行李的內地旅客。我比約定時間遲了半小時，令我很憤怒。為甚麼我得等四班車，但身為納稅人，卻要支薪給韋達誠、運輸局局長張炳良和商經局局長蘇錦樑，讓他們可乘私家車，還有司機管接送？若你也感憤怒，就傳電郵給我吧。
一年一度的書展已開始，我今天（七月二十二日）下午四至五時，會在星島攤位1aD22為我的新書《又中又英》簽名。希望到時見到你。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=294495§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
