Hong Kong Legco chief urges higher standards after lawmaker’s drink-driving arrest
Starry Lee calls on members to learn from incident involving William Wong and be more rigorous in their conduct to meet public expectations
The president of Hong Kong’s legislature has urged fellow members to be “more rigorous in their conduct” to meet society’s expectations after a lawmaker resigned following his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving.
Addressing the arrest for the first time publicly on Saturday, Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king said William Wong Kam-fai’s resignation the previous day reflected his willingness to accept responsibility.
“I fully understand and comprehend the high expectations that the public has for Legco members. [Wong’s] incident has already sparked intense discussion in society and as the [Legco] president, I have been busy dealing with this matter over the past few days,” Lee said.
“Wong’s resignation shows his commitment to responsibility, and the case will probably be handled in court in accordance with the law and regulations.
“Every Legco member is aware of the high expectations society has for members and public officers. I hope all members can learn from this incident, hold themselves to a stricter standard, be more cautious in fulfilling their duties and be more rigorous in their conduct.”
Wong, also an associate dean at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s faculty of engineering, was arrested on June 29 after he reportedly crashed his vehicle into two parked private cars on campus. Police arrested him after he failed a breathalyser test. The incident came to light on Wednesday.