Heung Yee Kuk leader says Hong Kong illegal structure row with Carrie Lam all in the past
Lau says chief executive hopeful did ‘a good job’, but that his bloc is still undecided on poll
Rural leaders have given their initial backing to Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor – once one of their most hated officials – to be the next chief executive, praising her as a “capable person” who had “done a good job” over the controversial crackdown on illegal structures on indigenous villagers’ homes.
Some village leaders laughed off their confrontation with Lam over the illegal buildings dispute back in 2011 as “bygones” and said they appreciated the former chief secretary had only done what she had to at the time.
Heung Yee Kuk chairman Kenneth Lau Ip-keung said on Tuesday that he and the 26 kuk members on the Election Committee would “vote as a bloc”. The kuk is a statutory body representing the interests of New Territories villagers. It has 26 seats on the committee, which will pick the next chief executive in March. Lau sits on the committee, as a lawmaker.
“Lam is a capable person and knows how to solve problems. In the illegal structure saga, I think she has struck a good balance. The saga is now over,” Lau said. But he said the kuk had not decided whom to vote for.