An advisor to China's parliament has called for the enactment of
laws to control the weight of civil servants in a bid to rein in
corruption.
The aim is to prevent the civil servants from squandering public
money wining and dining, said Miu Shouliang, a member of the
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body.
Miu, a businessman coming from China's southern booming city of
Shenzhen to attend the annual
session of the CPPCC National Committee that started Friday,
did not elaborate on any details, saying that measures should also
contribute to regulating their working styles and improving
morality.
However, some experts doubted the scientific basis of such
method.
"The motive is positive, but it sounds not so reasonable as it
measures the civil servants' performance by the standard of
weight," said Zhou Zhiren, deputy director of the Institute of
Government Management under the Beijing University.
Sources from Beijing municipal personnel bureau said weight
standards have been imposed by some special organs in the
enrollment of civil servants, but it is unwise to apply the method
to a wide range, as weight is an indicator of health.
The key issue is to crack down on corruption, which is a
criminal term instead of a moral concept, Zhou added.
Another professor with the prestigious university said the idea
was "quirky", stressing that morality could not be measured by
legal standards.
"Public supervision is an effective way to improve civil
servants' behaviors, and the supervisory authorities should bring
into full play of their functions," said the unnamed professor.
(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2006)