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I was born in 1958 in a family of six. I was the eldest child with three younger siblings.
I only became a lawyer by the simplest twist of fate. I wanted to become a doctor but my chance of getting into medical school was only 50/50.
The seniors said the law school likes having students who have been in the student council. I had, so I tried my luck and went for it. It was not until the second year that my application was accepted.
It is very lenient of you to use the word “slim” to describe my chance of winning, when it is practically NONE. I have absolutely no chance of winning!
At least not this time…
I think Hong Kong as a whole has already won in this election.
I am not in it to get the job. I am in to establish an election culture - and Hong Kongers who have witnessed this campaign would agree with me that the political landscape, since the first debate, has been changed.
People might not have ever considered becoming the Chief Executive before. But I think I have inspired people to imagine this possibility.
The prosperity of Hong Kong is directly based on the people’s imagination, the belief that a dream can be realized if you are determined enough to work for it.
I just don’t want to sit there and see Donald win easily in an open ballot, just like last time.
We have been successful in demonstrating to Hong Kongers what democracy and the right to vote is all about. Not only that, if people in the mainland see us debating on TV, they too will be introduced to the idea of democracy.
The thing about Donald Tsang is that he doesn’t connect with people, though he has made the attempt...
In the last debate, I earned more applause from the audience than Donald did. Why? Because I connect to people. I listen to them.
Donald is too much of a spin doctor. He overdid his spinning. He just puts on a face and does his show...
One of my intentions was to get him up on the stage and force him to better himself in the face of competition, and to be humble.
The less-educated may say senseless or expected things… But they might also say the one thing you have overlooked or never thought of before  – and that one thing could be really important.
Back in Donald's day, the government chose only a few people out of the 200 candidates to become the AO [Administrative Officer]. That may have created a sense of superiority among these people. They think they are better than anyone else and cease communicating with them.
It would be very hard to push Donald out of his bureaucratic mindset. He’s 62, not 22.
He said whatever the mainland government said. He kept saying “Be practical,” which is exactly against the innovative and daring spirit of Hong Kongers.
Now people become disciples of fatalism. They think, “Well, that’s life and you can’t change a thing.”
People simply cannot see where they might be in, say, five years. They aren’t even sure they will still have their jobs tomorrow since jobs are in short contract terms right now.
Donald says that I am dividing society by criticizing the government for allocating too few resources to the poor.
Government earnings have reached $51 hundred million, and the government has used $9 hundred million to help the poor and underprivileged. What the heck?
The real one who is perpetuating the rich-poor divide is Donald himself. He keeps conveying the attitude that “social subsidies makes people lazy.”
Poor people need help. It is as simple as that.
Education is a mess here.
The big businesses continue to have their privileges entrenched under the governance of Donald Tsang.
Today it is impossible to open a small shop and sell tofu because Mr. Li [Ka-shing]'s supermarket is selling everything. I heard they’ve even started delivering the newspaper as well. Goodness!
You clean up the air so that people won't get sick from breathing... You don't need a direct economic benefit to justify that.
All in all, Donald lacks heart.
The success of my campaign is that it reflects how unfair the system has been.
We left the feudal system a long time ago. Autocracy won't work anymore. People won't follow just because the leader said so.
With the people’s support, I will run for the election again in 2012.


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Legislator Alan Leong

Magazines

Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit, 49, will not be the next Chief Executive, though he is challenging Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in the sham election on March 25. He talks to Jan Leung about why he's running.
