Public Eye | Pan-democrats have lost right to hold heads high

One of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's top policy advisers, Executive Councillor Cheng Yiu-tong, has given the people the finger. People want him to atone for accepting a luxury trip to France with his family, compliments of Cathay Pacific.

But Cheng told the people to shove it. You know why he dares do that? Because he knows he can get away with it. All those who went after people in high office for conflict of interest have now lost their moral authority to do so.

Consider this: Cheng belongs to the so-called pro-establishment camp, is a C.Y. ally and a Hong Kong delegate to the National People's Congress. As an Exco member, he has a role in deciding if Cathay's rival Jetstar Hong Kong should get an aviation licence. Cathay opposes the licence and said so to those who went on the junket.

Conflict of interest? You bet. In the past, Cheng would have been a prime target for the opposition camp. They would have circled around him like hungry vultures waiting to feed on dead meat. They would have demanded his ouster. They would have marched to the ICAC headquarters under the glare of TV cameras to file a corruption complaint. That's what they did to Franklin Lam Fan-keung, falsely accusing him of using insider information as an Exco member to profit from property sales. And to former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, slamming him for riding on tycoons' planes and yachts.

So how come the pan-democrats are so meekly silent about Cheng? Because some pan-democrats also joined the junket with their families. They have now bowed their heads in shame, promising to donate the cost to charity. But no amount of donations can buy back what they have lost: the moral authority to hold those in high office to account.