Ex-democrat Andrew Fung to get top government media job

A former core member of the pan-democratic camp will become the next government point man for media relations, a source close to the appointment has confirmed.

Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, who used to sit on the Democratic Party central committee, will be information co-ordinator under the Office of the Chief Executive, earning HK$175,000 a month, the source said.

The proposed appointment of Fung, a public relations consultant and Southern District councillor, drew a barrage of criticism from pan-democratic lawmakers.

Fung was chosen because "the chief executive's expectations of the next information co-ordinator are different from those of the previous officers", the source said.

"Apart from handling media relations, the chief executive believes Fung's experience in district work will help him with political lobbying. Fung will also take part in analysing political strategy for the government."

The chief executive's office said it would make an announcement when a suitable candidate had been secured.

Yesterday, Fung declined to say if he had applied for the job, but said he would be a good fit for the role. "My track record helps," he said. "Essentially [the role] is about public relations."

On Tuesday, Fung apologised for faulty ballot papers prepared by his firm, PR Concepts, that led to chaos at the Arts Development Council election.

He quit the pan-democratic party after he was found to have applied for undersecretary jobs.

Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching said: "The information co-ordinator has to be a spin doctor and I don't think he can handle it. He does not know what people's right to know is."