bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Clifford Lo

Peace Chiu

The eldest son of Hong Kong’s No 2 education official jumped to his death from a luxury residential building in Yau Ma Tei on Thursday.
Paramedics and police were called to the Sorrento housing estate near Kowloon MTR station on Austin Road West following a report from a security guard shortly before noon.
The guard had found a man lying on the ninth-floor podium of one of the tower blocks in the complex, a police spokeswoman said. He was taken unconscious to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, where he was later certified dead.
The man was identified as Poon Hong-yan, 25, the eldest son of Undersecretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, according to a government source.
The source said the victim and a domestic helper were in a flat on the 41st floor of Tower Three at the time of the incident.

“Initial investigations showed he tried to jump off the building from the living room but was stopped by the helper,” the source said. “He then went to his bedroom and locked the door before he jumped out of the window.”
It was understood the domestic helper called his father after the incident. She only realised he had jumped when officers later arrived.
According to police, no note was found at the scene and initial investigations did not reveal any suspicious circumstances.
The source said the victim had a record of depression.
Poon, a physiotherapist at North District Hospital in Sheung Shui, had been involved in an accident during a triathlon more than a year ago.
Wu Siu-wai, vice-chairman of the Federation of Education Workers, a local teachers’ union, said he recalled Choi losing a lot of weight after her son’s accident. He said she was a very caring mother.
Choi was the group’s vice-chairwoman before taking on the undersecretary’s post.

In a statement issued through the Education Bureau, Choi expressed her gratitude for the concern shown for her family and also asked the public for space to get through the difficult time.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said he was saddened by the incident and expressed his condolences to Choi’s family.
“We will make every effort to support the undersecretary and walk with her during the difficult period,” he said in a statement.
The federation and the Professional Teachers’ Union both extended their condolences to Choi and her family, saying they were very saddened.
In a book published in 2015, Choi describes her eldest son as very structured and detailed in his work and her younger son as a “cheerful and happy” child with a passion for music.
According to Chinese media reports, the son, Peter, was a physiotherapist at the North District Hospital. It was reported that he had just started working there weeks ago. He furthered his studies abroad after graduating from the La Salle College in Hong Kong. He was a sports fan and liked riding cycling and running. It was reported that he was seriously injured in an accident last year while riding a bicycle and had suffered from depression since.

She says she offered her sons immense support and always reminded herself to respect their choices and passion and learn to admire their unique qualities, while not forcing her own thinking on them.
Choi was appointed the new undersecretary for education in August despite strong objections from opposition pan-democrat politicians who were suspicious of her pro-Beijing credentials.
She was previously in charge of school-based curriculum development at the Education Bureau before becoming the principal of the conservative Fukien Secondary School (Siu Sai Wan).
Additional reporting by Carmen Yam
If you are feeling stressed or are in need of support, you can contact the Samaritan Befrienders’ 24-hour hotline on 2389 2222, Suicide Prevention Services on 2382 0000 or the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care on 2868 1211.


Why Hong Kong’s youth must be key part of city’s mental health support

Hong Kong police probe suspected murder-suicide after 2 found dead

Under pressure: the rising crisis among Hong Kong students

Support new mothers’ mental health

Suicides in Hong Kong

Son of Hong Kong deputy education minister jumps to his death from 41st-floor flat

Undersecretary for Education Christine Choi leaves Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Thursday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Shots of the latest phase of West Kowloon development: Union Square. 09 September 2007

Newly appointed Under Secretary for Education, Dr. Christine Choi Yuk-lin meets the press to talk about her plans for Education Bureau at the Central Government Offices in Tamar. 02AUG17 SCMP / Sam Tsang

Queen Elizabeth Hospital staff moving a body. Under Secretary for Education, Dr. Christine Choi Yuk-lin's son falls to death from 41st-floor apartment. 07SEP17 SCMP/ Sam Tsang

News

Hong Kong

Society

Investigations show domestic helper tried to prevent incident before man, 25, locked himself in bedroom and jumped from window


Son of Hong Kong deputy education minister jumps to his death from 41st-floor flat

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Investigations show domestic helper tried to prevent incident before man, 25, locked himself in bedroom and jumped from window

Investigations show domestic helper tried to prevent incident before man, 25, locked himself in bedroom and jumped from window