The retirement plans of 63-year-old Democratic Party veteran Albert Ho Chun-yan next year appear to have hit a snag, apparently thanks to a rising political star in the New Territories, former Law Society chairman Junius Ho Kwan-yiu. Rumour has it that Beijing loyalist Junius Ho is eyeing the Tuen Mun district council seat that Albert Ho had wanted to pass to a younger Democrat in November's polls. Junius Ho is best known for his unseating in 2011 of Heung Yee Kuk chief Lau Wong-fat from the leadership of Tuen Mun Rural Committee, which Lau had commanded for 41 years. "There was a young man who had hoped to take over Albert's seat in Lok Tsui constituency," one Democrat said. "But he has decided to move to another constituency … as everyone knows Junius is not an easy opponent to deal with." For the sake of retaining the party's power in Tuen Mun, Democrats hope Albert Ho, their former chairman, will delay his retirement and continue holding on to the district seat he has occupied since before the handover. Here's hoping he can let go of another major seat next year - on the Legislative Council.
The real identity of a Chinese-language newspaper columnist who goes by the pen name "Kam Chung Yan" - literal meaning "Admiralty benevolence" - has been a myth in political circles for some time. Many speculate the government's information coordinator, Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, was the one who had been writing all those pro-government commentaries. But Fung kept up his air of mystery at a Shue Yan University seminar on Tuesday and sidestepped the issue, even as students fired the question twice at their speaker. Fung was more forthcoming when he engaged in a war of words on Facebook with Cable TV journalists, one of whom had circulated a commentary last week criticising Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.