Samuel Lai welcomes new rail chief on board
Memories of Wednesday's handshake that was supposed to have settled the row between KCRC acting chief executive Samuel Lai Man-hay and chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun were still fresh yesterday when Mr Lai again shook hands - this time with his successor.
A day after he quit in the wake of the sacking of a key supporter and the censuring of 19 others, Mr Lai told chief executive-designate James Blake: 'Welcome on board.'
Mr Blake responded: 'I am pleased I am with you again. I wish the circumstances could be different, but I do admire your courage and your commitment to the corporation.'
Mr Blake, a former civil servant and former senior director of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, said he had chosen to come back because his heart had always been with the company.
'During my 40 years in Hong Kong, I have to say that my time with the KCRC was one of the most satisfying and fruitful experiences, and I hope that in coming back I can help the corporation recover and even build a promising image,' the veteran engineer said.
