Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen should know when to quit, a top official in Hong Kong's former colonial government says.
Novelist Elizabeth Wong Chien Chi-lien, a former legislator and secretary for health and welfare until she retired in 1994, said politicians faced sad endings if they failed to make an honourable exit at the peak of their careers.
'Donald should learn from me to have forbearance and know when to quit,' said Wong, who has returned to Hong Kong from New Zealand for the launch of Rainbow City, her novel set in the city during the handover.
She praised Mr Tsang, who had worked with her when he was director-general of trade in the early 1990s, as a 'clever person' but said all politicians should know their limits. 'Zhengke are different from politicians because they most often end up in failure,' she said, using a Chinese term for those who follow politics as a career regardless of principle.
Mr Tsang said he wanted to be a true politician when he contested the election for chief executive last year.
Wong also said that although Mr Tsang - who is known for showing his temper when facing rivals - had a unique style, officials ought to stay calm under pressure.