Paul Chan, a man determined to rise above poverty

In the last political crisis he faced just days after his appointment as development minister last July, Paul Chan Mo-po sought to reassure Hongkongers that he was devoted to public service.

"Serving the society is the primary goal of the second half of my life," he told reporters then, as he rejected calls for his resignation over accusations he was involved in a venture that rented out subdivided flats.

A year on, Chan, 58, is embroiled in yet another controversy - this time over his family's investments in New Territories agricultural land included in government development plans.

Chan, the former head of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, probably never anticipated the bumpy road of public service when he won his seat in the legislature in 2008.

Born to a family living in the Shek Kip Mei squatter area, the first half of Chan's life was one of poverty. "Being from the bottom of the society, I was often looked down upon when I was young," he once said.

But material deprivation also gave him a clear direction in life: to rise above the poverty he was born into.

In the early 80s, he put himself on the fast track towards obtaining the qualifications to become an accountant. He also studied for a master's degree in business administration.