https://www.scmp.com/rss/26874/feed Donald Tsang Yam-kuen served Hong Kong as chief executive from 2005 to 2012. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Emily Hung,Theodora Yu Emily Hung,Theodora Yu After decades at the front lines campaigning for environmental protection, The Green Earth founder Edwin Lau Che-feng is slowing down to focus on his health and hobbies. The 68-year-old has been one of the most vocal environmentalists championing a waste-charging scheme for more than two decades. Lau still remembers May 27, 2024, when the government abruptly paused the waste-charging bill, as if it were yesterday. The suspension was the biggest blow in his 36-year career. “It feels impossible.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347420/veteran-activist-warns-shrinking-space-green-advocacy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3347420/veteran-activist-warns-shrinking-space-green-advocacy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:00:20 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong political heavyweights and former leaders gathered on Friday to pay tribute to the late ex-commerce minister Gregory So Kam-leung, as family and friends honoured his devotion to public service. Among those who attended the memorial service for So, who died on December 13, were former chief executives Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Leung Chun-ying, along with senior government officials and veteran politicians. “We mourn the loss of a dear husband, loving father and grandfather, trusted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3339282/honest-principled-hong-kong-political-leaders-pay-tribute-ex-minister-gregory-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3339282/honest-principled-hong-kong-political-leaders-pay-tribute-ex-minister-gregory-so?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 05:51:17 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s leaders have unveiled significant measures since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. From housing and development to labour protection and health, they have laid out ambitious plans in their annual policy addresses, creating long-term impacts on residents. As Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prepares to deliver his fourth policy blueprint on Wednesday, the Post takes a look at a few key initiatives rolled out by leaders over the past 28 years that played a major role in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325487/what-are-some-key-policies-hong-kongs-leaders-have-changed-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325487/what-are-some-key-policies-hong-kongs-leaders-have-changed-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:00:16 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Students and political heavyweights have gathered to pay tribute to Hong Kong veteran educator Henry Hu Hung-lick, with alumni recalling fond memories and lessons learned from the co-founder of Shue Yan University who died last month at the age of 105. The Tuesday evening vigil was organised by the university, a tertiary institution founded in 1971 by Hu and his late wife, Chung Chi-yung. Hu’s funeral will take place on Wednesday. Among those attending the service were the city’s No 2 official,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323241/alumni-politicians-gather-hong-kong-vigil-father-shue-yan-henry-hu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323241/alumni-politicians-gather-hong-kong-vigil-father-shue-yan-henry-hu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:32:24 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse News that the government has withdrawn tenders for two sites to speed up development of the Northern Metropolis comes as Hong Kong is still celebrating the anniversaries of various economic initiatives from a previous era. There could not be a better illustration of the changes in the city’s approach to economic development. On Monday, the Development Bureau announced that it was withdrawing from two sites that had previously been open to private sector bidders. A three-hectare lot in Yuen Long... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319377/will-hong-kong-governments-more-hands-approach-development-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319377/will-hong-kong-governments-more-hands-approach-development-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu China’s No 4 politician was among senior Beijing officials and other heavyweights who sent wreaths to the wake for Hong Kong tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho Tsu-kwok. State-run Xinhua called Ho a patriotic businessman and “an intimate friend” of the Communist Party of China in an article published on Saturday night. “Ho played an important role in Hong Kong’s smooth transition, successful handover and maintenance of prosperity and stability. He supported the nation’s reform and opening-up... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316233/chinas-no-4-official-joins-mourning-death-hong-kong-tycoon-charles-ho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316233/chinas-no-4-official-joins-mourning-death-hong-kong-tycoon-charles-ho?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:26:36 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on June 22, 2005. Help me to make a new start: Tsang by Gary Cheung and Dikky Sinn Donald Tsang Yam-kuen on Tuesday (June 21, 2005) called on local people to join him in starting a new chapter for Hong Kong following his appointment as chief executive, saying he would safeguard the overall interests of the city with concrete action. The salesman-turned-leader pledged to engage in dialogue with people from different walks of life and reach out to the public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3314699/donald-tsang-becomes-hong-kongs-second-chief-executive-2005-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3314699/donald-tsang-becomes-hong-kongs-second-chief-executive-2005-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 02:30:07 +0000 The concessionary HK$2 transport fare scheme for the elderly and persons with disabilities began life with clear objectives and manageable costs. It was well intentioned and made a meaningful difference to the lives of the intended beneficiaries. Unfortunately, it then lost focus, was extended to hundreds of thousands of less deserving individuals and the costs rose exponentially. Hence the attempt in this year’s budget to rein the scheme in and bring the costs under control. However the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Christmas came early for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team this year, and I don’t mean his duty visit to Beijing over the weekend. It came quietly in July, when salaries for politically appointed officials increased by 1.8 per cent. These pay rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (C), which measures the impact of consumer price changes on Hong Kong’s high-spending households – the top 10 per cent splashing out HK$50,400- HK$95,900 per month, as opposed to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Martin Choi Martin Choi Synagistics, a digital commerce service provider in Southeast Asia, is set for a listing in Hong Kong via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by the former head of Hong Kong’s de facto central bank. The Singapore-headquartered company will merge with HK Acquisition Corp, a SPAC formed by Norman Chan Tak-lam, the former CEO of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), along with two family members of the city’s former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, according... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3268767/synagistics-set-hong-kong-listing-through-merger-spac-backed-former-hkma-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3268767/synagistics-set-hong-kong-listing-through-merger-spac-backed-former-hkma-head?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 22:00:17 +0000 Every dollar spent by the government is subject to public scrutiny, even more so in times of a sagging economy and ballooning budget deficits. Office spending by ex-chief executives is a case in point. As former heads of the administration, they are expected to spend just as conscientiously and responsibly as when they were at the helm. The ongoing vetting of the government budget is an opportunity for lawmakers to review public spending, and it has been revealed that total expenses at the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3259383/spending-former-hong-kong-leaders-begs-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3259383/spending-former-hong-kong-leaders-begs-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:15:18 +0000 Operating expenses for the offices of four former Hong Kong chief executives reached nearly HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in the last financial year, with about 44 per cent attributed to the workplace of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor who attended more than 700 activities in the past 24 months. The director of administration said on Monday that the revised estimate of recurrent expenditure for Lam’s office at Pacific Place in Admiralty was around HK$9.17 million, including HK$5.67 million for rent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259105/annual-operating-costs-offices-ex-hong-kong-leaders-reach-hk21-million-carrie-lams-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259105/annual-operating-costs-offices-ex-hong-kong-leaders-reach-hk21-million-carrie-lams-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:12:02 +0000 Article 23 of the Basic Law, a law made by China’s National People’s Congress which sets out the constitutional arrangements for Hong Kong, requires the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to enact laws on its own to prohibit seven offences which threaten national security. Despite the best intentions of the officials in charge, the first campaign to implement Article 23 ended in mass protests in mid-2003, and the national security bill was aborted after the Liberal Party, which held eight... https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256329/article-23-after-victory-lap-whats-next-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256329/article-23-after-victory-lap-whats-next-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Mar 2024 01:30:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s political and legal heavyweights gathered on Saturday for a private ceremony for the late Ti-liang Yang, the only ethnic Chinese chief justice during British colonial rule, as they paid tribute to him for his sense of duty and strict morals. The ceremony for Yang, who died on June 24 at age 93, was held at St John’s Cathedral in Central and attended by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, former leaders Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, as well as political and legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3237952/man-duty-hong-kong-political-legal-heavyweights-pay-tribute-late-ti-liang-yang-citys-first-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3237952/man-duty-hong-kong-political-legal-heavyweights-pay-tribute-late-ti-liang-yang-citys-first-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2023 07:44:44 +0000 If the well-being of a society is rooted in healthy demographics, the latest turnaround of a worrying population decline suggests Hong Kong is, thankfully, recovering from the crippling blows of Covid-19 and social unrest. But with the birth rate hitting a new low and emigration wave yet to subside, it is too early to heave a sigh of relief. A holistic strategy is called for if the city is to regain healthy development and growth. According to provisional figures from the Census and Statistics... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231337/latest-figures-cannot-hide-need-better-hong-kong-population-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231337/latest-figures-cannot-hide-need-better-hong-kong-population-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 22:15:09 +0000 Perhaps out of respect for people’s homes and privacy, the Buildings Department rarely carries out inspections for illegal construction, unless there are reasonable grounds to do so. Yet, illegal construction is a common practice in the city and the department tends to investigate only when illegal conditions are reported. Unless, that is, one is foolish enough to share self-incriminating footage on social media showboating unauthorised renovations – which was what happened with one flat at The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223298/why-cant-hongkongers-resist-illegal-home-improvements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3223298/why-cant-hongkongers-resist-illegal-home-improvements?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:15:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has tasked government departments with looking into the spending patterns of commuters under a transport subsidy scheme for the elderly and investigating cases of abuse after economists called for a review of the policy and raised concerns about its financial sustainability. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday told reporters he understood the concerns, but he stopped short of confirming whether a review was needed. Instead, he said the priority should be on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3221462/alls-fare-hong-kong-buses-and-trains-lawmakers-economists-urge-city-review-public-cost-hk2-transport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3221462/alls-fare-hong-kong-buses-and-trains-lawmakers-economists-urge-city-review-public-cost-hk2-transport?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2023 01:00:23 +0000 Before we delve into the impact of the revamp of Hong Kong’s district councils, let’s look at how the government has failed, once again, in its public relations strategy. It seems the only tool in its kit is expectation management, which basically comes down to the government letting word out of what to expect or how little to expect, so that by the time its plans are officially unveiled, the public won’t be caught by surprise. In this case, talk of drastically reducing the number of elected... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219513/hong-kong-government-has-failed-tell-story-new-district-councils-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219513/hong-kong-government-has-failed-tell-story-new-district-councils-well?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 May 2023 22:15:11 +0000 In his first policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said land and housing were the government’s top priority. This was also the case with his predecessors Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Leung Chun-ying. During the Asian financial crisis around 2000, as property prices in Hong Kong plummeted to record lows, the Hong Kong government stopped holding scheduled land auctions and developing new sites in order to stabilise property prices. However, after the economy recovered, this policy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197459/hong-kongs-housing-and-land-supply-john-lee-must-avoid-mistakes-past-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197459/hong-kongs-housing-and-land-supply-john-lee-must-avoid-mistakes-past-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 03:30:09 +0000 HK Acquisition Corp, a blank-cheque company backed by the former head of Hong Kong’s de facto central bank, has its book fully covered for its HK$1 billion (US$127 million) initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, according to people close to the transaction. The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) formed by Norman Chan Tak-lam, the former chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), along with two family members of the city’s former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3188282/blank-cheque-firm-former-hkma-chief-norman-chan-completes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3188282/blank-cheque-firm-former-hkma-chief-norman-chan-completes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Aug 2022 08:45:23 +0000 Legislators have demanded an explanation from the government as to why it is spending HK$8.7 million (US$1.1 million) on renovating an office for former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Lam’s predecessor Leung Chun-ying has shared an office with two other former chief executives, Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, since he stepped down in 2017. Located on Kennedy Road in Mid-Levels, it is in a Grade I historic building constructed in the early 1900s. But authorities last month... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3185171/hong-kong-lawmakers-demand-explanation-government-over-hk87?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3185171/hong-kong-lawmakers-demand-explanation-government-over-hk87?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:24:09 +0000 Police are planning to mobilise as many as 7,000 officers to ensure Hong Kong’s chief executive election runs smoothly and peacefully on Sunday, the Post has learned. Nearly 3,000 of them will be deployed on Hong Kong Island, according to a source, mostly to guard the election venue, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where sole candidate John Lee Ka-chiu is running for the top job. “Security at other locations such as railway stations, infrastructure facilities and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176358/hong-kong-chief-executive-hopeful-john-lee-reveals-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176358/hong-kong-chief-executive-hopeful-john-lee-reveals-he?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 08:07:14 +0000 The resignation of Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu so he may run for the post of chief executive has ended a great deal of speculation on Beijing’s choice for Hong Kong’s next leader. However, the journey from government No 2 to taking the helm has only just begun. From winning the support of the Election Committee and the public to restoring business confidence and rebuilding the city, there is a lot on his plate. The way forward will not be easy and he has to prove himself capable. With all... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3173309/john-lee-has-prove-he-can-win-hearts-and-minds-hong-kongs-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3173309/john-lee-has-prove-he-can-win-hearts-and-minds-hong-kongs-people?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 23:30:29 +0000 The Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, a Hong Kong think tank set up by a close aide of former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, will close by the end of March, the Post has learned. Analysts said its exit underscored the limited room for think tanks to develop in a city where policymaking had been dominated by officials. The centre was founded in March 2006 by Norman Chan Tak-lam, who ran Tsang’s campaign to become city leader the previous year. He was director of the Chief Executive’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169450/hong-kongs-bauhinia-think-tank-bows-out-after-16-years-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169450/hong-kongs-bauhinia-think-tank-bows-out-after-16-years-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:28 +0000 Beijing’s watchful eye is enough to guarantee that Hong Kong’s chief executive will be punished for any corrupt acts, the city’s leader has said, underscoring her belief that extending anti-bribery laws to her own position would weaken the role under the constitution. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Saturday offered a new defence for rowing back on her 2017 manifesto promise to broaden the legislation, saying a deeper understanding of China’s constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law – as well as the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141501/hong-kongs-leader-cannot-be-limited-local-laws-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141501/hong-kongs-leader-cannot-be-limited-local-laws-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 05:33:52 +0000 It was over the Christmas break five years ago that, with little better to do, I set myself a mind-numbing challenge. I ploughed through all the policy addresses from 1998 to 2015, and counted the number of times chief executives Tung Chee-hwa, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Leung Chun-ying had used four words: democracy, consensus, inequality and youth. Over this year’s holiday break, as a diversion from democratic chaos in the US and arrests of “political subversives” here in Hong Kong, I decided... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3116882/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-history-explains-citys-present?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3116882/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-history-explains-citys-present?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 22:45:10 +0000 In the words of an old Scottish proverb, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride”. 2020 has been such a dreadful year for so many people, it is tempting to think that only an infinite number of wishes could put everything right for Hong Kong in 2021. But to stay focused for the purposes of this column, I am going to limit myself to three. I will not waste one on a cure for Covid-19, because there is no need; there are so many vaccines now at an advanced stage of trial. Nor will I waste time... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115211/after-dreadful-year-three-wishes-hong-kong-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115211/after-dreadful-year-three-wishes-hong-kong-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Dec 2020 07:45:15 +0000 The principle that no one is above the law is deeply rooted in Hong Kong. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was quick to remind us of this last month when defending arrests of pan-democrat lawmakers. But the city’s leader continues to be exempt from anti-bribery laws regulating the conduct of ministers and civil servants. This situation is set to continue, with Lam revealing she will not be extending the relevant laws to cover the chief executive. The issue has been debated for many... https://www.scmp.com/article/3112926/bribery-exemption-hong-kong-leader-must-end-despite-complexity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/3112926/bribery-exemption-hong-kong-leader-must-end-despite-complexity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 13:21:49 +0000 Former undersecretary for the environment Christine Loh Kung-wai gave an interesting history lesson on an RTHK talk show last week during a discussion of the proposed national security legislation. She reminded listeners she was a member of the Legislative Council in the 1990s. Before the handover, the council had a draft bill which “would have plugged the hole for Article 23”. She called it “a rather liberal version”. For various reasons, which Loh described as the “wisdom of the times”, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086701/hong-kong-has-no-one-blame-itself-beijings-intervention-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086701/hong-kong-has-no-one-blame-itself-beijings-intervention-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2020 08:00:11 +0000 In October, Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing spoke of plans to phase out all fossil fuel vehicles over the next 10 to 20 years and switch to electric modes of commercial and public transport to improve air quality. This is a welcome prospect, but what are the likely hurdles to successful implementation? The main challenge would be the charging stations in Hong Kong, which are grossly inadequate. Second, chargers are in poor condition. Third, the financial incentives... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3040199/four-hurdles-hong-kong-getting-more-electric-vehicles-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3040199/four-hurdles-hong-kong-getting-more-electric-vehicles-road?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2019 00:20:07 +0000 History never ceases to repeat itself in Hong Kong. In 2003, the pro-establishment camp suffered a massive defeat in the district council elections after a mass protest against a controversial national security law rattled the community. Candidates from the pan-democratic camp gained about 54 per cent of the votes relative to the nearly 46 per cent of the pro-establishment camp. In 2005, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, a veteran civil servant, replaced Tung Chee-hwa as chief executive of Hong Kong. After... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039891/anti-government-victory-hong-kongs-district-council-elections-wont?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039891/anti-government-victory-hong-kongs-district-council-elections-wont?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2019 01:30:16 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her government have failed to own up to their epic incompetence in creating the biggest political disaster Hong Kong has ever faced, with aftershocks tearing apart the city’s social fabric and shaking our economic foundations. And, as long as they don’t take responsibility, petrol bombs, tear gas and the lynching of people with opposing political views are going to remain everyday occurrences. It’s certainly very distressing to watch Lam in her... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032499/carrie-lam-needs-face-public-her-policy-address-pre-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032499/carrie-lam-needs-face-public-her-policy-address-pre-recorded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 01:00:09 +0000 I would applaud Phil Chan and Paul Serfaty’s column “Six steps to serenity” (September 21) had I been a self-serving Hong Kong politician. The authors appear to be repeating the demands of those politicians, not of Hongkongers. The issues behind the recent social rifts in Hong Kong are twofold: the privileged powers struggling to preserve the status quo, and wealth disparity. Privileged people in a range of sectors were afraid to lose their colonial prerogatives as “one country, two systems”... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3030261/hong-kong-does-not-need-democracy-it-needs-solution-its-crippling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3030261/hong-kong-does-not-need-democracy-it-needs-solution-its-crippling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2019 23:00:07 +0000 Many years ago, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew coined the term “minister mentor” for himself. The Chinese version of the term means a senior statesman and a top political adviser. Hong Kong desperately needs such a person. Among Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s three predecessors, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen is the most suitable candidate but he is conspicuously absent for a good reason. Despite his acquittal by the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Tsang has yet to be fully rehabilitated. Such a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3024844/hong-kong-trouble-needs-lee-kuan-yew-figure-who-can-fill-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3024844/hong-kong-trouble-needs-lee-kuan-yew-figure-who-can-fill-role?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2019 22:40:13 +0000 Former leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has expressed optimism that the situation in Hong Kong would improve, calling the city a “place of happiness” despite the weeks of protests unleashed by the extradition crisis. Tsang’s comments came on Sunday during an “sharing session” at Caritas House in Central about his 12 months in jail. The former chief executive was cleared of criminal misconduct by the city’s top court on June 26, bringing a long legal battle punctuated by health problems to an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019640/former-chief-executive-donald-tsang-talks-about-his-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019640/former-chief-executive-donald-tsang-talks-about-his-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 12:38:25 +0000 I am writing to address and redress the miscarriage of justice against Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. The former Hong Kong chief executive’s prosecution and subsequent incarceration was a travesty of justice by the Hong Kong government. Tsang was acquitted of the charge of bribery by the High Court in 2017. According to the Court of Final Appeal’s judgment, he was convicted by the High Court on the charge of misconduct in public office for “failing to disclose to, or concealing from” the Executive... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3018768/donald-tsang-was-victim-miscarriage-justice-having-committed-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3018768/donald-tsang-was-victim-miscarriage-justice-having-committed-no?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2019 22:45:12 +0000 I refer to “Donald Tsang is cleared of criminal misconduct after long fight” (June 27). We are grateful to the Court of Final Appeal for upholding the integrity of our legal system. Sending a retired Hong Kong chief executive to prison for a year for a crime he never committed cannot be taken lightly. It would forever be a black mark on all involved in the decision-making process. Are there some fundamental problems that have been highlighted by this very unusual case? First, catch-all... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3016921/eight-ways-hong-kong-make-sure-no-innocent-suffers-donald-tsang-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3016921/eight-ways-hong-kong-make-sure-no-innocent-suffers-donald-tsang-has?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:00:04 +0000 Despite having his conviction quashed, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen can hardly be described as emerging unscathed from his lengthy legal battle, with five years of litigation emptying his pockets and making him the city’s first chief executive to be jailed. Lawyers estimate the cost to hire his legal team – including Queen Counsel Clare Montgomery and local silks Peter Duncan, Selwyn Yu and Derek Chan Ching-lung – over two trials and two appeals could amount to HK$50 million (US$6.4 million). The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3016235/what-now-hong-kong-former-chief-executive-donald-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3016235/what-now-hong-kong-former-chief-executive-donald-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 14:52:26 +0000 The belated vindication of Donald Tsang Yam-kuen cannot undo what he has suffered. During his seven-year ordeal, the city’s former leader was tried five times in open court, jailed for eight months for misconduct in office, and had his savings almost emptied because of the protracted legal battle. But the ruling by the Court of Final Appeal proves that judicial independence and the rule of law are alive and well. Tsang is the most senior Hong Kong official charged for corruption and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3016227/cleared-donald-tsang-still-warning-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3016227/cleared-donald-tsang-still-warning-others?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 14:09:43 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has been cleared of criminal misconduct by the city’s top court, bringing a long legal battle punctuated by health problems to an end. The Court of Final Appeal on Wednesday ruled unanimously in favour of the former chief executive, who was the highest-ranking official to be jailed in the city, after finding the trial judge had failed to direct his jurors properly. The verdict was delivered without Tsang, who had appeared at previous court hearings... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3016085/vindication-former-hong-kong-chief-executive-donald?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3016085/vindication-former-hong-kong-chief-executive-donald?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 02:04:09 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen – the only city chief executive to have served a jail term – will learn whether he can clear his name over a criminal conviction for misconduct in his final appeal on Wednesday. The 74-year-old is travelling in Europe and is not required to be present for the Court of Final Appeal’s judgment, the Post has learned. The decision will be made public at 10am, according to the Judiciary’s website, just over a month after a panel of five justices heard... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015855/hong-kongs-former-leader-donald-tsang-find-out-whether-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015855/hong-kongs-former-leader-donald-tsang-find-out-whether-his?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2019 09:40:34 +0000 To bow or not to bow. That was the question debated by Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her top aides at a meeting when they discussed how to approach the formal apology she finally made on Tuesday. A government source revealed they discussed the format of the apology during their meeting at Government House on Monday. When the chief executive finally appeared at a press conference on Tuesday to answer questions on her handling of the controversial extradition bill, Lam issued her “most sincere... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015268/why-did-carrie-lam-not-bow-when-she-apologised-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015268/why-did-carrie-lam-not-bow-when-she-apologised-her?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:26:07 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen returned to court on Tuesday for his final appeal, arguing a mere misjudgment on his part had left him with a criminal conviction for misconduct. The 74-year-old former chief executive, sporting his signature bow tie, walked hand in hand with his wife Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei into the Court of Final Appeal, in his first public appearance since his release after completing a 12-month jail term in January. The city’s leader from 2005 to 2012 was found... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3010206/former-hong-kong-leader-donald-tsang-argues-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3010206/former-hong-kong-leader-donald-tsang-argues-final?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2019 12:53:26 +0000 There was anger and disbelief from lawmakers on Monday after it was revealed that Hong Kong taxpayers spend at least HK$1.4 million (US$178,413) each year for a team of helpers for former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, and even paid up while he was in jail. The matter came to light in a Legislative Council meeting when acting director of administration Bobby Cheng Kam-wing said the expenditures of the Office of Former Chief Executives had increased from HK$5.59 million in 2014-15 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3005286/disbelief-legco-lawmakers-learn-hong-kong-spends-hk14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3005286/disbelief-legco-lawmakers-learn-hong-kong-spends-hk14?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:00:16 +0000 The amount of money Hong Kong’s justice department spent on hiring outside legal help for major politics-related cases soared 70 per cent to HK$17 million (US$2.2 million) in the last financial year. In all, the Department of Justice (DoJ) spent HK$300 million (US$38 million) on “briefing out” cases in the 2017-18 financial year, including six major politically charged cases related to the 2014 Occupy protests, the Mong Kok riot in 2016, an election petition and constitutional challenges to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001410/hong-kongs-justice-department-spends-70-cent-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001410/hong-kongs-justice-department-spends-70-cent-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:46:36 +0000 Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen tasted freedom again two weeks ago after completing a 12-month jail term for misconduct in public office. But the disgraced former leader lived with one irreparable regret during his final days in jail – his inability to pay his last respects to Father Alfred Deignan, who died on December 11 aged 91. Deignan served as a source of deep inspiration for Tsang as a boy at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, in Wan Chai. The lifelong educator was head of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2184669/how-irish-missionary-father-alfred-deignan-shaped-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2184669/how-irish-missionary-father-alfred-deignan-shaped-former?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Feb 2019 00:00:45 +0000 A charitable reading of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s recent remark that she was a 61-year-old woman putting in more than 10 hours of work every day was that she meant to inspire others. Instead, she only succeeded in offending her contemporaries. Yeung Suen was among those for whom the chief executive’s comment lacked sensitivity. He worked in a clothing factory, and when the industry died in Hong Kong he became a karaoke bar assistant and, when that shut, he tried to be a waiter in restaurants... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2184386/policy-u-turns-and-cash-handout-debacle-why-hong-kong-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2184386/policy-u-turns-and-cash-handout-debacle-why-hong-kong-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:02:57 +0000 I refer to your article on the former Hong Kong chief executive who has just completed a 12-month jail term for misconduct in public office (“Tsang ‘grateful” as he tastes freedom again”, January 16). While some citizens think Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was rightfully punished for his greed, others are less convinced. What is beyond doubt is that he has suffered a loss of reputation as well as freedom, and endured both physical ailment and mental anguish. Upon his release, Tsang repeatedly said there... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2182972/fallen-hong-kong-leader-showed-amazing-grace-upon-release-jail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2182972/fallen-hong-kong-leader-showed-amazing-grace-upon-release-jail?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:00:20 +0000 It must have been a great sense of relief for former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to yesterday complete his 12-month prison term for misconduct in public office. His release may have closed a dark chapter in an otherwise distinguished public career, but his downfall serves as an indelible lesson for all public officers and a reminder of the inadequacies in city statutes to combat corruption at the highest rank of government. The pitiful sight of Tsang leaving court in handcuffs to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182234/donald-tsangs-fall-grace-underlines-need-tighter-laws-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2182234/donald-tsangs-fall-grace-underlines-need-tighter-laws-top?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:52:55 +0000 Disgraced former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said he had put aside his anger and hatred and had only gratitude in his heart as he tasted freedom again on Tuesday after completing a 12-month jail term for misconduct in public office. Tsang, 74, appeared to be in good spirits as he was discharged from Queen Mary Hospital’s custodial ward in the morning, vowing to soldier on with his final appeal against his conviction, scheduled at the city’s top court in May. He thanked his supporters... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2182058/disgraced-former-hong-kong-leader-donald-tsang-freed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2182058/disgraced-former-hong-kong-leader-donald-tsang-freed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jan 2019 01:15:45 +0000