Compensating Her Misery

Today Carrie Lam sidelined the question of whether she would take a pay cut

A few days ago we found out that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor got a pay rise of HK$120,000 (US$15,480) to HK$5.2 million annually. Calls from all political stripes for her to consider the Hongkongers who have lost their jobs or been furloughed, and business owners whose enterprises are in dire straits because of the coronavirus as well as months of anti-government protests, but she ignored their pleas.

Even Liberal Party honorary chairman Michael Tien Pei-chun, who owns the fashion label G2000 wrote a letter to Lam, saying he was "shocked and dismayed" that she still found it conscionable to increase her salary at this time.

Michael Tien wrote a letter to Lam urging her to cut her pay

He goes on to say: "Compared to senior officials of other governments, Hong Kong leaders' pay has always been extremely generous. We believe the people of Hong Kong would consider an increase in salary for your team at this time to be most inappropriate. In fact, the community would be reasonable to expect your team to take a pay cut so as to demonstrate your togetherness with the community to wrestle with this crisis that is presently threatening all of us, as never before, physically, emotionally and financially."

The letter was also signed by Miriam Lau Kin-yee, Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, and Felix Chung Kwok-pan.

However, when asked again today by reporters about taking a pay cut, Lam preferred to focus on something else.

"My first priority right now is to finalize as early as possible the package of relief measures under the second round of anti-epidemic funding," she said.

Lam's campaign slogan back in 2017... times have changed

Lam also pointed out (as we did the other day) that she and other politically appointed officials had donated one month's salary to the Community Chest of Hong Kong for charity purposes, adding she would consider similar ways in future "to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Hong Kong".

The Legislative Council is currently scrutinizing the budget that was unveiled in February, which will be voted on in early May.

The chief executive doesn't seem to care about anyone else -- for all the criticisms and heat she is getting from all sides, she believes she deserves this increased compensation.

How far she has veered from her campaign slogan of "We Connect".

Perhaps it should be "So Disconnected".