Regina Ip's institute in first public foray with voter registration drive

The think-tank set up by Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the former Security Bureau chief, will conduct its first public event in Kwun Tong today, a move widely seen as a first step to her contesting next year's Legislative Council election.

The Savantas Policy Institute will hold a voter registration drive at the Shun Lee disciplined services staff quarters. Mrs Ip, Savantas' director of policy development Ronald Chan Ngok-pang and volunteers will promote the importance of exercising the right to register as voters.

Mrs Ip has distributed a letter, via the Police Inspector's Association's website, encouraging her 'ex-colleagues' to register and thanking them for their support.

'We know [the disciplined services] are quite supportive, so we thought that might be an appropriate place to start,' Mr Chan said. 'Charity starts at home.'

The institute, established last July when Mrs Ip returned from studying abroad, is considered a vehicle for her to re-enter politics. Expectations that she will contest the Hong Kong Island constituency next year were raised when Savantas opened its first community centre this month in Pok Fu Lam.

Mr Chan denied today's activity constituted election campaigning by Mrs Ip. He said: 'Savantas is not going to become a political party,' he said.