Pro-Beijing figures attack Chief Secretary for being 'too HK-oriented' and 'forcing values on SAR'

Pro-Beijing figures yesterday harshly criticised a rousing farewell speech delivered by top civil servant Anson Chan Fang On-sang on Thursday.

They accused Mrs Chan, who retires at the end of the month as Chief Secretary for Administration, of trying to force her values on the SAR and of being 'too Hong Kong-oriented'.

National People's Congress local deputy Ma Lik said Mrs Chan wanted to have her set of values maintained despite the fact that she was leaving the Government.

Mrs Chan was given a standing ovation at an Asia Society lunch after delivering her last public speech before retirement. She called for a tougher look at the pace of democratic reform and urged fellow civil servants to speak up if they felt the SAR's interests were under threat.

She also expressed concern that Hong Kong people had become more inward looking after the handover and called on the SAR to avoid becoming 'just another city in China'. But Mr Ma said Mrs Chan was trying to advocate that Hong Kong should distance itself from the mainland.

'She asked people not to look up to the north [the mainland]. But this is exactly what we have to do if we want Hong Kong to move forward. She is too Hong Kong-oriented. This concept won't be good for the SAR,' he said.

Mr Ma did not think the time was right to start a public debate on the pace of democratic reform. 'There are still six years to go. I don't think she needs to heat it up right now,' he said. The Basic Law provides for popular election of the Chief Executive and full universal suffrage of the legislature after 2007.