‘Overly politicised’ Hong Kong atmosphere making university council appointments difficult, says CY Leung

Appointments of university council members and chairmen have been difficult for the Hong Kong government under an “overly politicised” atmosphere, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said.

Speaking before the Executive Council meeting today, Leung was asked why the government had not made yet any announcement on the appointment of a successor to Dr Leong Che-hung, whose tenure as HKU council chairman will expire on November 6.

He was also asked if the government was going to appoint Exco member and former education minister Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung as Leong’s successor.

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Leung said he would make an announcement in due course, and stressed that government appointments of university council members and chairmen were based on their abilities.

He said today’s Hong Kong was “highly politicised, often unnecessarily politicised” and this made it difficult for the government to appoint public servants.

“I hope [the appointments] would not be politicised on campus,” he said.

“On the issue of what candidates [are] to be appointed, [there should] not be unnecessary speculation in political aspects.”