YOU CAN'T HELP thinking Jackie Chan dying for the first time in his new movie The Medallion hints at the end of this kung fu star. Could this be an omen of things to come? Since 1995, he has been the face of Hong Kong - a high-kicking action hero-cum-comedian with a protruding nose - famous enough to lure his fans from around the globe to boost the city's flagging tourism industry. This month, hundreds of online messages have been posted on the Broadway Circuit website forum ( www.cinema.com.hk ), asking others to boycott Chan's new film because of the negative remarks he made about the July 1 massive protest against Article 23. Chan claimed his overseas fans were scared away by the march. According to Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao Daily, on a Commercial Radio interview aired on August 1, Chan said: 'How do you think cat-calling the chief executive in front of foreign guests such as the Liverpool football team and international media will affect the image of Hong Kong? ...This is shameful.' Incidentally, while the thread on this particular topic has mysteriously disappeared from the site this week, on Thursday, a new post was made on the same website. It is an open letter demanding the Hong Kong Tourism Board drop Chan as its ambassador. The letter reads: 'Mr Chan is incapable of representing Hong Kong people. We are afraid we can't agree with what he said several weeks ago in public. And no need to mention his improper behaviour and misconduct with the actress [Elaine Wu] years ago.' Once Mr Good Guy, Chan's image now appears to be in tatters. This week, SYP conducted a vox pop exercise interviewing 50 youngsters aged between 16 and 26. The results were telling. About half of the interviewees do not want Chan to be the face of Hong Kong. His well-publicised extra-marital affairs with female stars - including former Miss Asia Elaine Wu with whom he allegedly had a 'love child' in 1999 - have done little to boost his popularity. Form Seven student Winnie Leung Wing-tung, 18, says: 'His behaviour is awful and he lives a terrible personal life. How dare he criticise Hong Kong people?' Timothy Fung Wai-him, also a Form Seven student, says: 'First, he has a close relationship with someone who is consistently being investigated by the ICAC. Second, he has been having affairs with other pop idols even though he is married. Third, he is ageing and doesn't match the image of Hong Kong as the 'City of Life'.' However, our survey found a significant number of people (46 per cent) think Chan should be tourism ambassador simply because he is famous. 'Overseas audiences would only remember his onscreen image. If the Tourist Board wants instant results, Jackie is the man,' says Diana Li Pak-Ling, 23. While Alvina Ho Sin-ting, 22, says: 'He covered his scandals quite well, and people forget that news easily.' Having left two voice messages and two e-mails with Chan's management, our calls were not returned at the time of going to press. The Tourism Board was more forthcoming. 'Jackie Chan has been the tourism ambassador since 1995 and he has made no money from all the work he has done for us,' says Bonnie Ngan Suet-fong, the Board's corporate communications and public relations general manager. 'People associate his face with Hong Kong. He urges his fans to come here. Even David Beckham asks for his autograph.'
