Albert Cheng says death threats may force him off air

Radio host says critics want to silence his pro-reform comments

Radio host and South China Morning Post columnist Albert Cheng King-hon yesterday said he may halt broadcasting in light of daily death threats.

Cheng said the threats were an attempt to silence his recent criticism against the government over political reform. He said a vandalism attack on his company offices on Wednesday was also linked to his comments.

Cheng, who was seriously injured by two men armed with choppers in 1998, said he felt his safety was again under threat. He was now considering his future as a broadcaster and he may agree to his wife's request that he quit.

In the vandalism attack, a man went to the radio host's trading company on the 20th Floor of Kodak House, North Point, at 4pm and asked for 'Mr Cheng' who was not at the office.

The man returned with two accomplices minutes later and splashed red paint over the office.

Police classified the case as criminal damage and took away closed-circuit television footage for investigation. Detectives took a statement from Cheng last night.

Cheng said he strongly believed the incident was related to his public comments rather than a business matter, since the company had been operating well. Few people knew he was a shareholder.

'These people managed to go to the company to splash paint and ask for my name, I think they've done a lot of homework. They were prepared before they came,' he said.

'I can tell you that I'm scared. My family is even more afraid. And there was another case before,' Cheng said on his popular Teacup in a Storm programme on Commercial Radio yesterday morning.

Cheng was referring to the August 19, 1998, attack in which he suffered serious blood loss from six deep wounds. The case remains unsolved.

Speaking after his programme, Cheng said he received daily death threats from people who wanted to silence his criticism of the government in the past two months.

'I think this case targeted my comments. I've received [anonymous] letters and phone calls which asked me to not to criticise the government too harshly. They also hit out at my political stance. But I've thrown the letters away as I have never taken them seriously,' he said.

He said a March 16 attack on another radio talk-show host, Wong Yuk-man, had added to his fear. Two men have been arrested over that incident.

Commercial Radio declined to comment on Cheng's case as police were handling the matter. It said station security was sufficient and it would liaise with police.

It is understood the police saw no need now to provide protection for Cheng. Officers found no evidence to suggest that Wednesday's incident was linked with the 1998 attack or the recent threats.