Carrie Lam visits Hong Kong districts, promises better livelihood options
Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Wednesday visited three suburban districts to talk to residents and inspect the damage at a Police station – reaching out to a neighbourhood for the first time since her administration plunged into a political crisis with protests over the now-abandoned extradition bill.
In a press release issued after the visit, she pledged to roll out more measures to improve people’s livelihood in her upcoming policy speech in October.
Without any prior notice, Ms Lam was seen in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long and Tai Wai. Her move was met with mixed responses – some welcomed the attempt to reach out, while others called it a publicity stunt. Images circulated online showed Ms Lam talking to business operators and shoppers in Tai Wai Market. She also set foot in a park in Tin Shui Wai.
Her unexpected public appearance with Health Minister Sophia Chan Siu-chee was not officially confirmed until her office published a press release in the evening.
The release said Lam had checked out a site in Tin Shui Wai earmarked for a government-run wet market.
Local residents had earlier complained there was no marketplace selling cheap groceries.
Later, the chief executive also inspected improvement works at a market in Tai Wai.
Before going to Tai Wai, she also visited Tin Shui Wai Police Station, which was vandalised by extradition bill protesters earlier this week, to see the extent of the damage and meet the officers on site.
She was quoted as saying: “I will put forward more measures to improve people’s livelihood in the upcoming 2019 Policy Address.
A public consultation on the policy address is under way and people are welcome to give their views.”
The press release mentioned that a comprehensive review of the operation of public markets was a highlight of Lam’s maiden policy address in 2017.
Sha Tin district councillor Li Saihung, of the opposition party Neo Democrats, said he only learned of Lam’s arrival from stall operators at the Tai Wai market.
“I was told she arrived around 1pm. That was a quiet time in the market. Perhaps she chose the time to avoid meeting too many people.”
Li said the district council was not told about Ms Lam’s visit.