Why Carrie Lam doesn’t have what it takes to be Hong Kong’s next chief executive

Albert Cheng says the chief secretary, who may be preparing to run for the city’s top job, fails the integrity test, particularly in the lead-in-water scandal

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Chief Secretary Carrie Lam pointedly did not apologise for the lead-in-water scandal. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 4:33pm, 2 Jun 2016Updated: 4:45pm, 2 Jun 2016

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s ambition to be the next chief executive is becoming more conspicuous by the day. Lam has jumped on every opportunity recently to bolster her chances for the election next March.

Last month, she l ed an official delegation to Sichuan ( 四川 ) for a photo opportunity at its panda sanctuary, which Hong Kong taxpayers helped to rebuild after the 2008 earthquake. News organisations would normally send reporters to cover such a public relations stunt. Lam, however, asked about a dozen senior editors to travel with her to ensure her trip gained maximum exposure.

Soon after National People’s Congress chairman Zhang Dejiang’s (張德江) visit to Hong Kong, Lam invited pro-establishment councillors to dinner. The gathering was said to be tantamount to a preview of her election manifesto.

A photo op for Carrie Lam at the Wolong panda centre in Sichuan. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong chief secretary Carrie Lam says she won’t become another Anson Chan

The chief secretary reportedly listed three priorities to tackle – the MTR’s unpopular fare hikes, The Link Reit’s dominance of shopping malls and car parks in public housing estates, and the hedging arrangement between the Mandatory Provident Fund and employers’ severance payments. She also highlighted her concerns about inadequacies in retirement protection and tourist facilities.

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