Anson Chan Fang On-sang's appearance in last Sunday's protest march for democracy was a delightful surprise. It was the first time that the former chief secretary, dubbed by the western media as the 'conscience of Hong Kong', had voted with her feet alongside pro-democracy activists.
Her participation, though belated, should be applauded. Her presence might have encouraged others to show up at the rally, making it even more difficult for the authorities not to come up with a substantial response to the growing demand for full-scale democracy in Hong Kong.
Nonetheless, the way Mrs Chan insisted that she had taken part only as an 'ordinary citizen' is hardly convincing. The truth is that she has charted her moves meticulously.
Had she only intended to show her support, she should have refrained from calling her own press conference during the protest. To ensure maximum publicity, she had even informed selected media about her decision a couple of days ahead of the rally.
Given her special status, she naturally became the focal point of media attention. In fact, she dominated the headlines the following day, eclipsing even the organisers of the peaceful and orderly march.
When asked whether she would take the helm of the pro-democracy campaign, she gave an ambiguous reply: 'Let's take things a step at a time.' This was a roundabout way of admitting that she has harboured ambitions for the office of chief executive.
Given her influence, Mrs Chan could have a lot to offer, if she were to take centre stage in the political arena. Two years ago, I urged Mrs Chan in this column to seriously consider launching her own political party with her former civil-servant colleagues. At that time, she would have stood a fair chance of being elected chief executive.
