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Tsang's ties to police spark fears of bias

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Leaders of disciplined services unions yesterday criticised the chief executive's remarks on the pay row, saying his emphasis on his ties with police could result in biased policies.

With the Executive Council due to make a decision on the services' grade-structure review as early as next month, unionists from the immigration and correctional services departments voiced concerns during a radio programme about possible favouritism.

In an impassioned plea in June, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen sought to dissuade police unions from staging a protest over the government's delay in implementing the review by highlighting his close ties with police.

'My father was a police officer, my younger brother was a police officer, my sister-in-law was a police officer, my uncle was a police officer. Among my cousins, there are police officers,' Mr Tsang said at the time, urging officers to reconsider marching.

Immigration Services Officers' Association chairman William Lee Hok-lim said on an RTHK phone-in programme yesterday it was natural for staff to worry that government policy might favour the police.

'The chief executive and [Exco convenor] Leung Chun-ying both said their fathers were police officers,' he said. 'Many people talked about their ties with the police but nobody has ties with other disciplined services. It is natural for the staff to have worries.'

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