JOIN ME TO START NEW CHAPTER FOR CITY, LEE SAYS IN FINAL PLEA
Sole election candidate drives home theme of unity, recalling his childhood on a public housing estate
The sole candidate in Hong Kong’s leadership election, John Lee Ka-chiu, held a final campaign rally yesterday with renewed promises to restore hope, strengthen the city’s international status as a financial hub, and build it into a vibrant metropolis over the next five years.
Warning that the city could not afford to waste any more time, he appealed to everyone to come together and work with him to “start a new chapter” for Hong Kong. The event at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai was carefully staged before nearly 1,500 people, including district representatives, political heavyweights and business leaders.
Inclusivity was underscored by the theme, “We and Us: A New Chapter for Hong Kong”, and the rally featured speakers such as a secondary school student, an ethnic minority representative and an Olympic medallist.
Lee, 64, again set out the key directions of his manifesto – boosting governance capabilities, tackling land and housing shortages, consolidating the city’s competitiveness, and building a caring and inclusive society.
The former security tsar also offered a rare glimpse into his upbringing, harking back to the time when his father was able to afford the luxury of buying a television set, and sharing it on their public housing estate.
“My family invited some neighbours to come and watch TV together, and they were so happy. I realised that the relationship between neighbours can be so simple, direct and genuine. We can feel the warmth when we do one thing together,” he said.
“In the five years ahead of us, the Hong Kong that I will build with you will be a Hong Kong that is caring, inclusive, diverse and full of vibrancy and hope … If I am elected on May 8, I will do one thing with Hong Kong people, that is starting a new chapter for this city together.”
Lee is poised to be voted into power tomorrow by a 1,461-member Election Committee among whom he already enjoys majority support as the man with Beijing’s blessing.
Among the tycoons attending were Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, chairman and group co-managing director of CK Hutchison Holdings; Robert Ng Chee Siong of Sino Land; Adam Kwok Kai-fai, executive director of Sun Hung Kai; Gordon Wu Ying-sheung of Hopewell Holdings; and Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, former chairman of Sing Tao News Corporation.
Yet the rally, which started with guests singing the national anthem, did not put tycoons in the spotlight, and instead featured speeches from seven speakers.
Wong Nga-yu, a Form Four student at Pui Kiu Middle School, expressed hope the business sector would give young people more opportunities to learn about mainland cities such as Shanghai.
Ethnic minority leader Lachmandas Nandkumar said he appreciated Lee’s efforts to forge “unity, integration and togetherness” while chief secretary.
Olympic table tennis bronze medallist Doo Hoi-kem likened the support from her teammates, coach and the country to the “we and us” touted in Lee’s slogan, and urged him to turn sports into the “common language and lifelong career” of youngsters.
“I hope that the new government will unite Hong Kong, as we deeply love this city,” she said.
Leung Chun-ying, chief executive from 2012 to 2017 and now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body, also appeared.
He urged Election Committee members to cast their vote so the city could move forward together.
“As Hong Kong faces both opportunities and challenges … the whole society needs to have the same desires and minimise infighting,” he said. “I believe that with the central government’s support, the new administration will administer Hong Kong under the Basic Law and guide the city in contributing to the nation’s development.”
Other speakers included National People’s Congress deputy David Wong Yau-kar, former police chief Tang King-shing and University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital chief executive Professor Lo Chung-mau.
Towards the end, the event host asked the audience to turn on their mobile phone flashlights and Lee took to the stage, speaking about the challenges facing Hong Kong. “Amid drastic changes across the world and complex international relationships, Hong Kong must seize opportunities – it cannot wait, and it cannot be late,” Lee said.
“Hong Kong must consolidate its status as an international metropolis and give full play to its strengths as a free and open city that connects with the world and the mainland … My philosophy is not to rely on myself or the government to do things, I will unite all forces in society and solve problems together.”
Analysts gave a mixed view of Lee’s rally.
Professor Song Sio-chong, of Shenzhen University’s Centre for Basic Laws of Hong Kong and Macau, said that by talking about his childhood, Lee was trying to demonstrate he was a typical resident with deep roots in the city.
“Unlike other former officials, there was not much from his police career for Lee to boast about, so he had to emphasise these other anecdotes to resonate with as many people as possible,” he said. “He also sought to distance himself from the tycoons … but at the end of the day, he must recruit credible and talented newcomers as senior officials in order to win people’s hearts and administer Hong Kong successfully.”
But political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung of Chinese University argued that Lee’s recollections from his youth failed to deliver enough impact, adding that, dressed in a suit, he would strike people as an “executive officer”.