Exco chief Lam Woon-kwong's grand ambition: a call for grown-up policymaking
Leung Chun-ying can lay the foundations for solving some of the city's key problems if critics give him a chance, says Exco chief Lam Woon-kwong
After 30 years in government service, Lam Woon-kwong still has one unfulfilled dream for Hong Kong - to help lay the foundations for the city to overcome its many social problems, from housing woes to the challenges of an ageing population.
Seven months on from his appointment as convenor of the Executive Council, Lam remains confident Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying can pave the way for a more prosperous Hong Kong. But it's the politicians, rather than Leung, who must make changes, Lam says - they need to be rational in their criticism and the civil service handed a clear, feasible agenda.
When I decided to join the Executive Council, one of my biggest wishes was, really, that this administration set the foundations for solving large, long-established social problems
"When I decided to join the Executive Council, one of my biggest wishes was, really, that this administration set the foundations for solving large, long-established social problems," Lam says. "How could these many things be solved in five years? But if Leung can set the foundations for future governments, the administration would deserve a lot of credit."
Lam, 62, headed several government departments before and after the handover, led the organisation of the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong, and most recently won acclaim for his leadership of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Now, he's hoping his role as convenor will allow him to help tackle burning issues such as poverty and care for the elderly.
It's believed that Lam's popularity with the public and experience as a civil servant led Leung, himself a former Exco chief, to appoint Lam to his present position. But Lam stresses his role is about more than sticking to the government line. He has warned Leung he must deliver concrete achievements off the back of his first policy address last month, or face a crisis of governance by the time he delivers his second policy speech. But Lam is not shy when it comes to hitting back at the chief executive's detractors.
Citing Leung's decision to set up a committee to examine the feasibility of free kindergarten education, Lam says it was "mad and irresponsible" for politicians to question why Leung could not deliver on the pledge right away.
"I am not defending C.Y. Leung, I am defending Hong Kong's core values," Lam says, raising his voice. "It's impossible to tackle such a highly complex problem without a wide and thorough consultation - that's not the way Hong Kong operates. It is useless to criticise us for being slow, for not being like Singapore or the mainland - since it is our core value to be open to public opinion."