Leung Chun-ying stays silent on illegal structures row

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying refused yesterday to say when he would give further clarification about illegal structures at his two houses on The Peak, amid pressure from lawmakers and the public.

Leung has yet to reply to a letter that the Legislative Council's house committee sent him two weeks ago, inviting him to explain publicly in Legco.

House committee chairman Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen is expected to raise the issue when he meets Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor tomorrow.

The chief executive, who was in Sanya , Hainan , to attend the Eighth Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation and Development Forum, would not say whether he would explain himself to the legislature.

He noted he had issued a written statement and had answered subsequent media inquiries.

"As to the remaining questions, I will offer my explanations in a suitable format at the right moment," he said.

Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said he would follow the rules to deal with lawmakers' requests on moving a motion of no confidence, invoking the council's powers and privileges ordinance or launching impeachment procedures. Since the house committee had sent Leung a letter, "it is entirely up to the chief executive to decide whether he wants to come or not", he said.

Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit said Leung should face up to the public.

"The longer he stays away from explaining the matter openly, the less likely it is that the public will forgive him," he said.

Leung said in his written statement that he sealed off a 200 sq ft unauthorised extension in November last year.

At the Sanya forum, Leung said Hong Kong could be a hub for international connections to the pan-Pearl River Delta region and said a government study would be carried out.