University student Ian Borg became the youngest mayor in the world when he won a local council election in the European island of Malta early last year. He was only 19 at the time.
Having established the youth section of the Maltese Labour Party in his village of Dingli at 16, Borg decided to run for election two years later.
Through traditional campaigning, appearances on national television debates, and by writing about his views in the youth section of a weekly newspaper, Borg became a familiar face. When it was time to vote for a new leader, the 4,000 people in Dingli chose him by a landslide.
Borg was among a 42-member delegation from Malta who visited Hong Kong last week.
'We had an old mayor before and it was time for a change,' said the law student, who turned 21 in April. 'I've always been always interested in organising activities and being involved in the community. I thought 'why not be someone who decides how to run the village'. The aim is to generate money for our village and do good for our families.'
Borg has 10 people working for him in a four-storey government office. Much of his work involves organising projects for young people in his village. His fresh ideas and optimistic outlook have changed the thinking of the locals.