Preventive education – the first line of defence against corruption

You have to keep a close tab on the social pulse in order to win them over

"Corruption is a secretive crime. We need to keep ourselves abreast – not only in investigative capabilities but also in preventive education which I see as the first line of defence against corruption. Only by keeping a close tab on the social pulse can we win the public's staunch support and cultivate a probity culture in our society," Mr Ng said.

The Commission's signature TV drama series, produced by the CRD and based on real ICAC cases, made its debut in 1976. Over the years, the drama series effectively illustrated the evils of corruption and the perseverance of ICAC officers in discharging their anti-corruption duties. The ICAC was among the first government departments and public organisations in Hong Kong to use TV drama to promulgate its messages. Since then, many other public sector organisations and even overseas anti-corruption agencies had adopted a similar strategy.

In addition to real live cases, iconic figures targeting at different age groups were also used to spread the probity message as early as the 1980's.

"Over the years, the CRD has created a number of story characters, including one known as Lady Lotus, to foster in young people positive values such as justice, probity and living a fruitful life. Back in the old days, I used to lead a group of enthusiastic voluntary helpers who would play these symbolic characters in dramas staged at district events hosted by the ICAC," Mr Ng recalled.

Around the millennium saw the birth of the Commission's signature cartoon, featuring the flying rabbit Gee-Dor-Dor. Mr Ng was the mastermind behind the production which captured the hearts of many young children.

"The Gee-Dor-Dor family was a hit and remains a favourite with small kids. ICAC's core values of honesty, fairness, being responsible and having the right attitude towards money are featured in short stories which children will find totally relatable to their daily lives," said Mr Ng.

To keep up with the latest trend and preferences of youngsters, the CRD has recruited a young new force in recent years, including iSir, a character taking after the upright and virtuous image of an ICAC investigator, as well as a sloth-figure villain Greedy Kin.

Technology advancement has brought enormous changes to the modes of communications. The ICAC has always tried to keep up with the latest trend in devising its education and publicity campaigns. The mass media like the radio, television, newspapers and magazines were the main publicity platforms in the early years. Nowadays the ICAC is making good use of themed websites, multi-media productions, online games, smartphone applications, micro films, as well as a variety of new media and social media platforms (Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 ) to promote its work and messages. CRD officers are always exploring new initiatives. In order to effectively engage young people and sustain the public's alertness to the anti-corruption cause, this year the Commission has launched its first virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) interactive games which are developed from real ICAC signature corruption cases.