The privatisation of telecommunications giant PCCW is a controversial saga that has become the talk of the town. Ordinary Hong Kong citizens are tuning in because so many are shareholders in the company and the eventual outcome will probably affect their personal lives.
But even those who have no investment in PCCW are taking an interest.
'I read about it now and then' said Ernest Kao, a recent secondary school graduate. 'It's one of the biggest companies in Hong Kong.'
Many people are familiar with PCCW as an internet service provider or fixed phone line operator, but the company's services reach far beyond that. With its headquarters in Hong Kong, PCCW has 16,200 employees all over the world from Europe to Africa and offers many kinds of what are called integrated communication services.
The man behind the push for privatisation is Richard Li Tzar-kai, PCCW chairman and youngest son of Li-Ka shing, one of Asia's richest billionaires. He - along with the other largest shareholder, China Unicom - wants to buy the other shareholders out at HK$4.50 a share - down from a high of HK$131 during the dot-com bubble of 2000.
Post chief business reporter Enoch Yiu explains that for PCCW, or any publicly owned company, to delist from the stockmarket, it must meet two major requirements - at least 75 per cent of shareholders support privatisation, and more than 50 per cent of the shareholders physically present at the shareholders meeting must be in favour of the deal.