Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam defends donation to pro-democracy party but apologises for ‘inconvenience’ caused
Chief executive gave the opposition Democratic Party HK$30,000 at a recent fundraiser but has taken stick from all sides of the political divide over the move
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has defended her personal donation to the city’s biggest opposition party but added she was “sorry for causing inconvenience or discomfort” for parties on both sides of the political divide.
Lam also said she would be “more restrained” if her critics believed she should be more “cautious”.
The donation was publicised on Lam’s official Instagram account, with three photos of the occasion and the hashtag “major reconciliation”.
Lam explained that during the dinner she was among those who sponsored former Democrat lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming’s performance of a Cantonese song, saying he was a long-time friend. She donated HK$30,000 because the party had raised HK$270,000 and Li was asking if anyone wanted to top it up to HK$300,000, Lam said.