Unbearable pain suffered by CY Leung’s family laid bare
Leung Chun-ying says he does not want his loved ones exposed to the pressure of a re-election bid
When Leung Chun-ying took to the stage after claiming victory in the tightly fought chief executive race in 2012 surrounded by his cheering wife, daughters and son, they appeared a picture of happiness.
On Friday, however, family was the reason Leung cited when he dropped the political bombshell that he would not seek a second term next year. In that one move, he thrust into the limelight the health of his recently hospitalised daughter Chai-yan, though he refused to divulge details of her condition.
Leung’s second child, 25, who has always been close to her father, is understood to have been a patient at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin for at least a month. Last night, Leung visited the hospital but did not speak to the media.
Chai-yan, known to be social media-savvy, did not post anything on Facebook or Instagram after her father’s “family-first” pledge on Friday.
In the chief executive’s words, it was family – not Beijing – that decided his political future.