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- May 22, 2013
- Updated: 12:58pm
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Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying, also known as CY Leung, is the chief executive of Hong Kong. He was born in 1954 and assumed office on July 1, 2012. During the controversial 2012 chief executive election, underdog Leung unexpectedly beat Henry Tang, the early favourite to win, after Tang was discredited in a scandal over an illegal structure at his home.
Leung Chun-ying's Stanley flat had illegal structures, government says
Buildings Department confirms that it found unauthorised additions to his flat 12 years ago
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The Buildings Department last night belatedly confirmed that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying did have unauthorised structures in a space outside his flat in Stanley 12 years ago.
The revelation adds fuel to demands by lawmakers for an inquiry into unauthorised works at Leung's homes. And it answers a question he and the department had avoided for months.
In a press release, the department said "illegal structures including roof rail, column, wall, staircases and slabs" were found in a space between the flat and an artificial slope. "We don't know the usage and the size of that space as the demolition of those structures had already begun when the department first inspected the space," it said.
The statement elaborated on a press release issued in 2001, when Leung was an executive councillor and was questioned about his properties. That release said it found an illegal canopy in the garden and some "alteration works to the unit". A department spokeswoman could not explain the delay yesterday.
The department did not say if the structures were built by Leung or the previous owner. It only said the problems were rectified in January 2001. Leung bought the Tung Tau Wan Road property in 1979 and lived there until the early 1990s. He now rents it out.
Next Magazine reported last month that it had been asking the department since July if Leung had an illegal extension of 2,000 sq ft at the flat. The department inspected the flat again on Tuesday but failed to confirm if the illegal extension still existed.
Leung was questioned by lawmakers on Monday but was evasive when answering a question by Tam Yiu-chung, leader of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Rather than say whether or not he had an unauthorised extension, he said he would co-operate with the department's investigation.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum criticised Leung for an incomplete disclosure. Pan-democrats plan to move a resolution to invoke Legco's Powers and Privileges Ordinance to seek a full disclosure of unauthorised works at Leung's properties. On Wednesday he survived a Legco motion of no confidence.
The Civic Party's Alan Leong Kah-kit criticised the Buildings Department statement for "playing around with words".
"Its director is a professional surveyor, but what he came up with was just a nonsensical description, citing only findings like roof rails and columns," he said.
Labour Party lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan said the statement showed Leung lied when he said he "had no experience" in handling illegal structures at his properties on The Peak.
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1:57pm
12:17pm
Now what I am implying may be seen as a 'Conspiracy Theory' or it just may be luck, bad or good, for her, but CY was downright stupid to be drawn into attacking Henry T during the election and he continues to be stupid in his attempts to squirm off the hook now. Personally I don't see any suitable candidates to replace CY as we have to follow the Basic Law (whether we like it or not). If Carrie turns it down then we go to our ever trusted Financial Secretary.
I think many of us would just like 5 minutes alone in a room with CY to either scold him or talk some sense into him. Every opportunity he gets to end the controversy he shuns. The fact that he continues to refuse to go on overseas visits because he wants to stay in Hong Kong seems to show he is scared of what will happen here if he is not directly involved. Could it be that one of his close allies has already unsheafed her/his knife?
9:25pm
About CY. My wife met him once and told me that she does not trust him. But he is a very professional politician, a veteran and does know what he is doing. Also he has the wellbeing of HK in mind. What this means for us, only CY can answer. EVEN Beijing does not know what to expect from CY. Different from Henry Tang who was definitaly a pupptet and a figur on a chess board, CY is too tricky for that. So what are the alternatives to CY?
I was grateful for the Henry Tang scandal as I was very sceptical regarding to Henry Tang. It wasn't the question where is loyality lies but the question what kind of leader he would be? An industrial und Tycoon's puppet like Donald Tsang? After the show, yes, he was all the same. But what makes him even worse is how he handled the scandal. He was helpless, confused and didn't know what to say or how to say the right words. He handled the crisis poorly and once seemed to be an easy disturbance to solve, he makes a mess out of it. Henry Tang would have been a bad leader in times of crisis as he couldn't manage his own one.
7:04pm
Zero Evidence or just Lack of media attention, agenda and so investigation. If you **** deep and long enough we will find something. 90% all houses and apartments (especially the older ones), have illegal structures somehow. I have one on my rooftop (no rooms just like you wish to have) but a deck to kept rainfall from some equipments. Many others have it to. A window, an extra room or two, a wintergarten etc. etc. so? aware or not aware of the illegality, they are all "BAD PERSONS".
The bigger picture is just that easy. The Pan Democrates, soo lame and pathetic, can not attack him on political issues so they try it on the private and personal way. Later they will find out that CY maybe has a u son or daughter born out of the wedlock. Possibly. Digging and washing dirty laundry. Just dirty politics. I don't like CY personally. But considering the alternative canditates for his job or if there is any, I must say, there is no. The Pan Democrates? lol, Kindergarten.
8:17pm
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