Stanley Ho joins Macau handover body

The 100-strong committee which will oversee Macau's handover to Chinese rule in December 1999 was named by Beijing yesterday.

Casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun and chief executive front-runner Edmund Ho Hau-wah were among five vice-presidents from the enclave named in a statement by the Chinese National People's Congress yesterday. The other three are prominent business figures Ma Man-kei, Susana Chou and Ng Fok.

Among the ordinary members is businessman Ng Lap-seng, the chairman of the Sun Kian Ip Group whose name was last year linked to the scandal surrounding Asian funding for US President Bill Clinton's Democratic Party.

Mr Ng, who has met President Clinton, strongly denies any part in the scandal and reports in the US media that he has links to organised crime.

The committee, which will be formally established next month, is composed of 60 Macau members and 40 from the mainland.

It will be headed by Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen.