Tsang to lead funeral panel for NPC deputy Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong, Gao Siren, will be co-directors of the committee arranging the funeral of outspoken National People's Congress deputy Raymond Wu Wai-yung. It is the first time Mr Tsang has led a funeral committee since becoming chief executive last year. Wu's funeral will be held at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point on Saturday. A requiem Mass will be held at St Joseph's Church in Central on Monday. Wu, a Basic Law drafter, died eight days ago, aged 69, from leukaemia. Among the 147 members of the funeral committee are leading businessmen - Li Ka-shing and his sons, Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, Robert Kuok Hock Nien, David Li Kwok-po, Peter Woo Kwong-ching and Lee Shau-kee - Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan, Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung and National People's Congress Standing Committee member Tsang Hin-chi. One member, legislative councillor Tam Yiu-chung, said the composition of the committee reflected Wu's status and his contribution to the city. 88pc of shoppers do not want GST, survey finds A large-scale survey of shoppers has shown massive opposition to the introduction of a goods and services tax in Hong Kong. Of 112,000 questioned since Monday by the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, 88 per cent were against the sales tax. Nearly all those questioned were locals. 'We hope the government will take 'real' public opinion seriously into consideration,' association chairman Bankee Kwan Pak-hoo said. chief's rating at new low Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's popularity has dropped 0.7 points in the past two weeks to a low of 62.9 out of 100, a survey by the University of Hong Kong's public opinion programme shows. The result was within its margin for error of plus or minus 3 per cent. Christian contest hots up Twelve hopefuls have signed up to compete for the seven election committee seats reserved for Christians. Hong Kong Christian Council assistant executive secretary Wan Hoi-wing expects another dozen nominations by today's deadline, making the contest the most competitive ever. Institute under fire Civic Party legislator Mandy Tam Heung-man has accused the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of severing her ties with her electorate. It had refused to distribute her newsletter via its mail network after she criticised it for its stance on a goods and services tax and other issues.
