My Take | Integrity essential for next home affairs chief
- The government-allied DAB has monopolised the post for far too long, and it’s time for the next administration to look further afield for a suitable hire
But rather than political acumen, which he clearly lacks, his political affiliation – with the government-allied Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) – did much to help secure him the job.
The post has practically been monopolised by the city’s largest political party. His predecessors in the post were former DAB vice-chairman Lau Kong-wah and Tsang Tak-sing, brother of party co-founder and its first chairman Jasper Tsang Yok-sing.
Before joining the government in 2008, Tsui, 44, was the vice-chairman of the party’s youth wing, known as Young DAB.
Given the lacklustre performance of Tsui’s two predecessors and the scandal that ensnared him, the next government should look further afield to find its home affairs chief.
Once considered a relatively apolitical job, it has turned out to be highly visible amid the harsh measures imposed during the Covid-19 crisis. It was that very toughness that claimed Tsui.