'Middleman told me to withdraw from HKU selection process', says liberal scholar Johannes Chan amid political row
A liberal University of Hong Kong scholar at the centre of a political storm claimed a middleman assigned by the institution’s governing body had asked him to withdraw from the selection process for a key position.
A liberal University of Hong Kong scholar at the centre of a political storm today claimed a middleman assigned by the institution’s governing body had asked him “more than once” to withdraw from the selection process for a key managerial position.
The revelation by former law dean Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun came a day after the HKU council decided to stick to its guns in deferring his appointment as pro-vice-chancellor until September at a closed-door meeting, prompting angry students to storm the venue.
“I was asked to withdraw [from the selection process] more than once,” Chan told Commercial Radio. “I know some council members approached the middleman to tell me that.”
He refused to reveal who was behind the middleman, but ruled out Executive Councillor Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, who was appointed to the HKU council by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Chan said the middleman told him his withdrawal would resolve the saga and be in the university’s best interests – an argument he strongly disagreed with.
“For the sake of HKU’s interests, they should not ask me to withdraw but instead, should follow basic procedures and values [in handling the appointment],” Chan said, adding the university’s management should not appoint officials based on their political stance.