Home Affairs Secretary Resigns Over Birthday-Gate

Tsui resigned today over attending the January 3 birthday party

The political fallout from the January 3 birthday party of Witman Hung Wai-man has resulted in one senior Hong Kong minister resigning today.

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai resigned this morning, and in his letter stated he would take responsibility for his actions.

"As one of the principal officials taking the lead in the anti-epidemic fight, I have not set the best example during the recent outbreak," he wrote.

Lam said Tsui behaved in appropriately

"I made the wrong decision to attend a banquet on January 3 and behaved in an inappropriate manner when all efforts should have been devoted to controlling the spread of the virus."

Indeed -- it is his department that enforces all Hong Kong residents to use to the Leave Home Safe app! And days before the party, Tsui's colleagues in the health department had warned Hongkongers not to gather in big groups -- even though the banquet number was well within government guidelines -- it was still not a good idea to be at the event.

Due to contract tracing, when two women were found to be infected with Covid-19, it was uncovered that Tsui and several other officials and lawmakers attended Hung's party, where there were pictures of the birthday boy singing karaoke, and many of them not wearing masks.

While some officials and lawmakers came and went in less than an hour, Tsui was found to have been at the party for two hours -- but worse -- he didn't use the Leave Home Safe app!

Some experts say Hung (left) should resign too

Needless to say Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was mightily disappointed with him, and said so during a press conference Monday afternoon, the day before the Lunar New Year.

"He didn't wear a mask while chatting with others at the party. What he did was disappointing and violated the code for politically appointed officials," she said.

"Tsui was a member of the government's core team tackling the pandemic. He should have had better awareness than other officials on pandemic controls."

Lam added that politically appointed officials should not do anything to embarrass the government or cause negative perceptions among the public.

However, others who attended the party only got verbal warnings: Allen Fung Ying-lun, political assistant to the development secretary had stayed for four hours and didn't even remember if he wore a mask because he was so inebriated. 

Au seems to have escaped punishment...

Another was Vincent Fung Hao-yin, deputy head of Policy Innovation and Coordination Office, who did not comply with the compulsory testing order on the day it was issued, and was an infection risk when he returned to work the next day before going for a test.

Then there is immigration chief Au Ka-wang who also did not scan the contact-tracing app, but Lam seemed satisfied that he spent 15 minutes outside of the Wan Chai restaurant without entering.

Independent Commission Against Corruption chief Simon Peh Yun-lu also got away with punishment too, and Lam claimed he was there "to have official dealings with a private individual".

Uh huh.

So it seems Lam had it in for Tsui from the beginning. The 44-year-old was a rising star in the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, but it seems someone had to take the fall, and perhaps he was the weakest of the high-profile partying bunch.

... and so has ICAC chief Peh

Some experts say the host of the party, Hung himself should also resign from his position as principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at the Shenzhen Qianhai Authority and a city delegate to the National People's Congress because his reputation has been severely damaged.

Who's next? Stay tuned.