Starry Lee Wai-king
Starry Lee Wai-king represents Kowloon West in Legco. The 39-year-old member of the pro-establishment DAB is a rising star in her party and also sits on the Executive Council and the Kowloon City District Council. She talks to Yannie Chan about growing up on a public housing estate and the government’s increasing inability to get work any done.
I grew up in Ping Shek Estate, near Choi Hung. My neighbors and I were very close. After school, we would all go to a neighbor’s place, run around in the hallways and bikein the parks. I really miss those times.
My family did not have much money. My mother worked as a hawker and a factory worker. She would wake up early and prepare our meals. Breakfast was always ready, and even if my mother hadn’t come back by dinner, she’d have something prepared. We didn’t have a washing machine back then, and she washed all our clothes after work. I think I got my determination and persistence from her.
I worked as an accountant at KPMG, one of the Big Four auditors, after graduating from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Not many jobs would give fresh graduates the chance to challenge CEOs and financial controllers, interview different people within a company and request financial reports. I think only auditors get that privilege. It’s rare to find a job where inexperienced people can get to talk and communicate with powerful CEOs.
I became an accountant because it’s a well-paying job. I wanted to be a professional, part of the middle class and lead a better life.
I was a girl scout in primary school, joined the Hong Kong Red Cross and organized countless extracurricular activities during high school. I was invited by a district councilor to volunteer, and I was itching to take part in social services again, so I said yes.