C.Y. Leung names his nominator as City University council chairman
Staff criticise the appointment of mainland adviser Herman Hu to head university council
Businessman and mainland adviser Herman Hu Shao-ming, a nominator of Leung Chun-ying for chief executive, was yesterday named the third City University council chairman in a year.
His appointment, made by Leung who previously held the post for four years, was dismissed by staff as a political reward.
Hu - the chairman of Ryoden Development and a Standing Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai - has been a member of the university council for eight years, the university said on its website.
While acknowledging Hu's familiarity with the school's management, staff association chairman Dr John Tse Wing-ling called the appointment "CY Leung's reward for his friends".
"Is society really that short of experts?" Tse asked. "Having been in the council for so many years, it will be hard for Hu to inject any fresh ideas."
He also pointed to a "problematic" pay policy that Hu had helped initiate as head of the university's human resources council that had left staff salaries lagging behind inflation.
Tse said he expected Hu to follow Leung's line, although the new chairman appeared willing to listen to others' views.
Hu's term will run from October 1 to the end of 2014. Businessman Raymond Or Ching-fai has been acting chairman since June, after previous chairman David Sun Tak-kei, having succeeded Leung only three months earlier, was appointed Director of Audit.
Education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim and City University president Way Kuo welcomed the new appointment.
Leung drew criticism from staff during his four years as chairman especially after his introduction of staff pay reforms. He was also accused of attempting to weaken the staff association's power.
A staff questionnaire conducted before Leung's rise to Hong Kong leader showed he scored only less than 1 point on a scale of 10 in terms of chairmanship performance.
