Honours bonanza for chief's allies
The top awards in the third SAR honours list have been shared out for the most part among Tung Chee-hwa's cabinet, senior civil servants and pro-Beijing businessmen.
Of the 22 top awards, six went to non-official members of the Exco, five to top officials and two to businessmen who are Standing Committee members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Of Mr Tung's advisers, Yang Ti Liang, the former chief justice, received the highest honour, the Grand Bauhinia Medal. Gold Bauhinia Stars went to new convenor Leung Chun-ying, Nellie Fong Wong Kut-man, Antony Leung Kam-chung, Dr Raymond Chi'en Kuo-fung and Tam Yiu-chung.
Of the top officials honoured, Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the Chief Secretary for Administration, was one of four recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal. Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Michael Suen Ming-yeung, who has overseen election policy, received the Gold Bauhinia Star.
The two CPPCC members, Tang Hsiang-chien, father of Executive Councillor Henry Tang Ying-yen, and Leo Lee Tung-hai, of the Tung Tai Group, received Gold Bauhinia Stars.
Two senior officials about to retire, Secretary for Health and Welfare Katherine Fok Lo Shiu-ching and Secretary for Works Kwong Hon-sang, who was censured in the Legco report on the airport opening fiasco, received Gold Bauhinia Stars.
Law Officer Ian Wingfield, a senior official in the Department of Justice, was also given the Gold Bauhinia Star.
Other recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal were Lee Chark-tim, veteran leftist union leader, Sir Sidney Gordon, chairman of the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service and a former China Light & Power chairman, and Sir William Purves, former HSBC chairman and member of the Council of International Advisers.
Deputy Law Officer Robert Allcock received the Bronze Bauhinia Star, one of 33 recipients of the award.
Also honoured were actor Jackie Chan, film director Gordon Chan Ka-seung, businessman Dickson Poon, tenpin bowler Sunny Hui Cheung-kwok, Rene Appel, who coached windsurfer Lee Lai-shan, and dancer Willy Tsao Sing-yuen.
