The head of Hong Kong University told colleagues that an aide to Tung Chee-hwa had raised three main concerns about Robert Chung Ting-yiu's opinion polls.
Professor Cheng Yiu-chung was speaking at a senior management meeting on January 21 last year, 15 days after his discussion with the aide, Andrew Lo Cheung-on, pro-vice-chancellor Professor Wong Siu-lun testified yesterday on the fifth day of the inquiry into the controversy.
Professor Wong said: 'He summarised the main concerns of the visitor: namely, whether the polls were conducted in the name of the university or whether they were done by Robert Chung in his personal capacity; how the topics for the polls were selected, implying whether the university would monitor these polls; and then, thirdly, indicating a potential problem of conflict in roles, that Robert Chung, being a pollster at the same time, would act in public as a political commentator,' Professor Wong said.
Professor Wong said Professor Cheng also said Dr Chung had sent a document to Mr Tung some time previously, commenting on political developments. Professor Wong said no action was suggested following Professor Cheng's comments.
Panel chairman Mr Justice Noel Power expressed surprise Professor Cheng's comments had caused little reaction from his colleagues. The judge said he was puzzled about the suggestion of a conflict between the role of a pollster and the role of political commentator. 'I find it a little difficult. I would have thought that it is the reverse, that they are complementary roles, not conflicting roles.'
Professor Wong said: 'I have no particular problem with that myself. As I said to Robert when I met him in the first instance, I was telling him that such a concern had been expressed by a number of people.'
The pro-vice-chancellor said he had told Dr Chung eight days after the senior management meeting that doubts had been expressed on his conflicting roles as a pollster and a political commentator, his methodology and on whether he was completely neutral politically. Dr Chung has said he understood from the meeting that Mr Tung did not like his polls and that he should stop them.
