Hong Kong Chiu Chow group packed with tycoons ‘disappointed’ by Election Committee snub, demands seats on newly empowered body

The influential Chiu Chow federation, which counts Li Ka-shing as principal honorary president, has written to city leader Carrie Lam, noting its contributions – including in past elections

Chiu Chow refers to the Chaozhou region in northeast Guangdong province, and it is estimated that more than a million Hongkongers have roots there, including local tycoons

3-MIN READ3-MIN

An influential townsmen’s organisation has called for representation on Hong Kong’s newly empowered Election Committee. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:02pm, 22 Apr 2021Updated: 2:06pm, 8 Sep 2021

Leaders of a local townsmen’s organisation have called on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to grant them seats on a committee that will enjoy broad powers to influence the city’s politics under a Beijing-decreed overhaul.

In a letter sent to Lam last week, the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organisations expressed disappointment with the government’s decision to exclude it from the newly expanded 1,500-member Election Committee despite the contributions of community members to the city, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

The document gave a hint of possible internal wrangling in the pro-establishment camp in its bid for political power under the new electoral system, even though Beijing had set aside a majority of seats in the committee for its supporters.

The letter was signed by more than a dozen heavyweights who count themselves Chiu Chow community members, including former health minister Ko Wing-man, tycoon and Trade Development Council chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok, and Asia Financial Holdings chairman Robin Chan – who is also the father of Executive Council convenor Bernard Chan.

Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, a member of the standing committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body, and Bunny Chan Chung-bun, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, were also among the signatories.

Many Hong Kong tycoons – including billionaires Li Ka-shing and Joseph Lau Luen-hung – belong to the Chiu Chow community. Li is principal honorary president of the federation.