Opinion | Hong Kong officials’ conduct risks worsening public alienation from politics

The coming Legislative Council Election Committee by-election is unlikely to draw much attention as the public is cut out of the process

That, and the perception of city officials receiving special treatment, risk making the government look out of touch and immune to public perception

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan arrives on stage at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central, on November 2. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 6:45am, 14 Nov 2022

Chances are that most of us either don’t know or care very little that today is the last day of the nomination period for the Legislative Council Election Committee by-election.

The reason for that certainly isn’t because these are unimportant posts up for grabs. On the contrary, they are very important seats that have been left vacant. The fact that four people from the new Election Committee constituency were appointed to the governing team is significant in itself.

The four who resigned to join Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s government are: Alice Mak Mei-kuen, who became secretary for home and youth affairs, Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan (deputy justice minister), Sun Dong (secretary for innovation, technology and industry) and Nelson Lam Chi-yuen (director of audit).

Under the new electoral system, those who have managed to secure a nomination – a complicated process that takes more than just jumping through hoops – and win, amid the friendly but fierce competition, really are the crème de la crème – at least when it comes to being bona fide “patriots”. The system was, after all, designed for the very purpose of ensuring patriots administer Hong Kong.

To be a “patriot of patriots” translates into important political credentials. Unfortunately, the wider public is cut out of the process of selecting these people and the politicking is left in the hidden corridors of power. The exclusivity of this circle of elite patriots makes them unapproachable.

That leads to other potential problems, such as being out of touch with the plight and daily experiences of everyday people. And not being in sync with the public pulse makes good governance difficult.