Probe Ruled Out Into New Year Lucky Stick Doubts

A Sha Tin official has ruled out an investigation into a possible switching of fortune sticks during the traditional Lunar New Year ritual at the Che Kung Temple, saying if there was a mix-up, it must have been arranged by the gods.

It's feared that during the ceremony on Saturday a stick drawn by Heung Yee Kuk chairman Kenneth Lau on behalf of the whole city could have been swapped by mistake with the stick drawn for the district by Sha Tin Rural Committee vice-chairman Lee Che-kee.

The possible switch is believed to have happened in between the sticks being drawn and them being passed to the fortune teller by an event organiser.

In any case, both lucky sticks were deemed to be "neutral".

Lucky stick 21, which was taken to be for Hong Kong in general, said that the harder the city works, the more it will achieve.

Meanwhile, lucky stick 41 told the people of Sha Tin that if they work hard and are prepared to suffer a bit, they will achieve harmony and peace.

Despite ruling out a probe into a possible exchanging of the two sticks, Sha Tin Rural Committee chairman Mok Kam-kwai said organisers of the event will look into whether any improvements can be made to make sure there is no similar confusion in the future.