Security Chief Targets Journalist Association

Tang wants HKJA to reveal member list and financial records

 

Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung is very busy these days, constantly on the attack on various targets, and now it's the Hong Kong Journalists' Association.

In a war of words, Tang has accused the HKJA for leading young people astray, going into schools to recruit students as reporters and claiming they aren't properly trained, and wants the professional body to release the membership list and financial records for further scrutiny.

The HKJA hit back, saying Tang's argument is "illogical", saying divulging who its members are would violate privacy laws, and that student reporters only make up 13 percent of its member base.

Chan (left) rebutted Tang's attacks on Wednesday

While speaking to reporters in the Legislative Council Tang said: "My understanding is that journalists need to be trained and accredited professionally, and have certain professional beliefs, values and ethics... If a student can be a student journalist, then how professional are the journalists under the association?"

Tang rebutted and said: "[The HKJA] should explain, for example, in the past five years, did you visit any school and promote your own political ideas?" he said.

"To alleviate public doubts, the association should also consider disclosing the [amount of] money it has received in recent years, as well as the sources of that founding, and whether it was donated by foreign political organizations or people with clear political inclinations."

It is Tang who trying to sow the seeds of doubt, not the public. He is trying to apply pressure to the HKJA in a bid to make it fold, but the group is standing firm -- for now.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the association responded: "We are of the view that Tang's suggestion is illogical and simply incomprehensible. We hope the secretary can understand that the media agency a member works for is also part of his or her personal data.

Chan says HK still has freedom of the press

"We cannot disclose a member's personal data without his or her consent. [Tang's request] is no different than asking us to breach the privacy law."

The HKJA said it has 486 members, 331 are full members, 22 associate members, and 34 public relations members. There are also 56 student members and 43 retired or permanent members. The association did not disclose any names or the media agencies their members were from.

In a separate briefing, HKJA chairman Ronson Chan said the association did not receive any overseas funding.

"We have annual reports and our account statements are audited and furnished annually to the Registry of Trade Unions. If Tang would like to have a look, he can approach the labour secretary for help and there is no need for him to request us publicly to do so," Chan said.

Touche.

He also rejected Tang's suggestion the HKJA was "infiltrating" schools to recruit students.

Chan said that freedom of the press was guaranteed under the Basic Law, and that "all citizens", including schoolchildren and undergraduates, enjoyed the right to undertake reporting tasks in public areas, though he advised them not to put themselves in dangerous situations. 

"What is important is not who is there to cover the event, but what the reporter is doing there and how he or she deals with the situation," Chan said.

Tang accused HKJA of recruiting student reporters

He also suggested Tang be mindful of his comments.

"Tang is a senior official. Is he trying to threaten us or exert pressure on us or just offer some gentle reminders?

"The journalists association has not breached the national security law. We have nothing to fear. We will not easily give up and disband in the face of pressure and we will stay put until the very last minute." 

Back in 2019 the HKJA held a fundraising dinner and at least nine of the table sponsors were related to the government, like the MTR, AsiaWorld-Expo, Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, Urban Renewal Authority, and Hospital Authority. 

Other big corporate sponsors include New World Development, Kowloon Motor Bus Company, PCCW-HKT, Sino Group and Standard Chartered Bank.

Maybe Tang should investigate them too for having links with the HKJA?

Backtracking Promises

Leung Chun-ying gave himself and his cabinet a pay rise on Friday night

At 11.06pm on Friday, the Hong Kong government disseminated a press release that said Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was giving himself and politically appointed officials and executive councillors at pay rise that would make their salaries consistent with 2009 levels.

That means Leung would be making HK$371,885 ($47,975) per month compared to HK$351,880.

Legislators raised a stink about this because it was done in a "stealth" manner, quietly announcing it just before midnight at the start of the weekend, but government officials defended the move, saying it did not need lawmakers' approval because they were reinstating the salaries to 2009 levels.

However, Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said the decision to undo the pay freeze was due to an improved economic situation.

Really? What planet is he on?

Back in 2009, then chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and his cabinet took a voluntary 5.38 percent pay cut to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the people during the financial crisis.

Then in 2012 a month before Leung took office, he bowed to public pressure and scrapped his proposal to raise his salary once in office. At the time he said: "the entire political team of the next-term government will have their pay frozen" at the 2009 level.

It might be interesting to note here that Hong Kong's politicians are some of the best paid in the world.

Civic Party lawmaker Kenneth Chan Ka-lok says Legco should be debating Leung's pay raise because it involves taxpayer money.

Others said the increase in salary was fine, but objected to the way in which it was done, and that Leung should defend his actions.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said some cabinet members felt higher wages would help recruit talent. He also added the government waited until Legco approved civil servants' pay rise -- voted on Friday evening -- before

the press release was issued.

So Cheung says the restoration of their salaries to 2009 levels is going to help the government recruit better people? How is that optically even possible?

After all the government has been through, particularly its silence during the Umbrella Movement and just executing whatever Beijing tells it to do, why would you even need to hire people with brains to do that?

How about explaining their pay rise to the impoverished elderly who are trying to survive on government handouts, or the 200 employees of Standard Chartered to who unceremoniously sacked, as well as other workers, whose companies shed some staff just before Chinese New Year.

So much for buying into Leung's election platform slogan, "One heart, One vision".

Hui's Fall from Grace

Rafael Hui was found guilty of bribery thanks to his materialistic longings

It seems former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan was addicted to the high life and thought of himself as a discerning consumer even though his salary wasn't enough to pay for his lavish tastes.

The 131-day trial of Hui, and Sun Hung Kai Properties co-chairmen and brothers Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong and Raymond Kwok Ping-luen is over, with Hui and Thomas Kwok found guilty of bribery.

Somehow Raymond Kwok was acquitted on all four charges against him and walked free.

It basically boils down to Hui acquiring hyper materialistic tastes and not being able to live on a budget, and supposedly succumbed to bribes from the Kwok brothers to maintain his lavish lifestyle.

Thomas Kwok was also convicted of bribery

In court it was revealed Hui liked to spend money traveling to Europe and Japan to attend exclusive operatic performances, once dropping HK$150,000 to stay in London's Dorchester Hotel.

He also spent HK$2 million at one music store for several years, and had no qualms going on a HK$200,000 shopping spree in one store on CDs and vinyl records. At that time his annual income was HK$4.6 million.

But after then chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was re-elected in 2007, Hui became a non-official executive council member and his salary dropped to HK$105,000 a month. However he continued to withdraw HK$1 million a month using overdraft facilities, and on his credit card bills he would only pay the minimum amount.

"Basically I did not have any savings. I spent almost everything I had," Hui said on the first day of his testimony.

Is that supposed to be considered a badge of honour? For a financial secretary to not pay off his credit card bills every month is shocking not to mention spending way beyond his means.

The writing was on the wall for Hui when the ICAC charged him with bribery and misconduct in office in July 2012; then creditors came calling, including Hang Seng Bank, Standard Chartered, and even Honour Finance, a subsidiary of SHKP.

As a result, Hui declared bankruptcy in November last year, not being able to repay Bank of East Asia. There were media reports he racked up debts of up to almost HK$75 million.

Not only was he a carefree spender, but also apparently a philanderer, cheating on his wife of more than 40 years.

"In 2008, I gave some money to a female friend in Shanghai," he confessed in court. "I do not recall the exact amount -- but I think at least HK$7 million or HK$8 million... some of which for purchasing properties, some for investments."

If this isn't a massive fall from grace, I don't know what is.

It will be interesting to see what sentence the judge metes out for Hui, as he will hardly be able to pay off his debts. What punishment would be suitable for someone like this?

While this trial is over, all eyes are now on Tsang, who has been very low key in the last few years. After he was caught on a yacht hanging out with tycoons, the former chief executive may be the next one in the dock.

How many other senior civil servants took advantage of their positions too? If the Hong Kong government wants to regain any kind of credibility, especially post-Occupy, surely it needs to clean up house too...

New Traffic Observations

Strange seeing cars here on a Sunday; helpers on sidewalks

Every Sunday Chater Road in Central is closed off for domestic helpers to have another spot to hang out during their precious day of rest.

However, this afternoon was strange to see there were no police barricades to block the street and to see cars going through the area. Buses continued on their Sunday routes, which meant avoiding Chater Road, but private vehicles and trucks continued there, which meant the domestic helpers had to set up their quarters on the sidewalks.

From what I remember this street was still blocked for domestic helpers while the Occupy movement was happening. Or did the authorities think they needed to road open to deal with Sunday traffic, which is quite light?

More helpers occupying the sidewalks (left)

Meanwhile the passageway at HSBC headquarters on Queens Road Central has always been a favourite spot for these hired help as well, but in the last two months, the bank has taken up the space by erecting a display that won't be unveiled until March of next year.

It seems the bank was worried about Occupy protesters taking over the space after several people literally camped out in the area two years ago during the Occupy movement in New York.

And so the domestic helpers have no choice but to hang out outside the bank. Admittedly it's now quieter going through the area, but the massive display has made it difficult to move freely in the passage area.

In addition, I saw several men in suits with earpieces, patrolling areas in front of IFC mall, along the footbridge next to Standard Chartered Bank, and the footbridges from Chater house and World Wide House to Exchange Square. They were not only there to prevent domestic helpers from lingering in the area, but also hawkers trying to strike a deal reselling the iPhone 6 outside IFC.

These new measures are a clear attempt to get rid of what some people think are eye sores, but also interesting to note it was several buildings doing this at the same time.

Is this a concerted effort to push domestic helpers out of Central, or at least the main shopping areas so that customers will be able to move around more freely and with less guilt?

Again it's the government that hasn't done much to offer domestic helpers a space of their own for some relaxation on their only day off. Some go to churches and parks, but they can't hold the some 320,000 (as of 2013) helpers in the city.

We will keep an eye on the situation next weekend to see if the patrols are still in force...

Trying to Discredit Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai may have donated millions to pro-democracy politicians and groups

Someone or a group is out to take down media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying with the leak of his emails showing how much he has donated to pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong.

Two weeks ago there were leaked emails showing he donated millions of dollars to pan-democratic politicians such as Civic Party's Claudia Mo Man-ching, Democrat James To Kun-sun, and ex-lawmaker Tanya Chan, as well as Anson Chan Fang On-sang, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, and Martin Lee Chu-ming.

Donations ranged from HK$200,000 to HK$6 million (over two years).

And now the latest revelation from more leaked emails is that Lai helped fund the referendum that Occupy Central held in June.

Exchanges between the founder of Next Media and his top aide Mark Simon show Lai has spent between HK$3 million to HK$3.5 million on the plebiscite, though it is not clear what exactly the money was used for.

While Lai gave extensive advice to the pro-democracy group, he privately described Occupy Central as "idealist scholars" who "couldn't make the cut without help".

He added they had "no strategy", not to mention any organized plans or steps for actions". They "could accomplish nothing if there was no help".

While Lai and Simon would not comment, one of the Occupy Central organizers, Chinese University academic Dr Chan Kin-man dismissed the notion that Lai was the main force behind the campaign.

"Occupy Central has its own flow and schedule which are very transparent," he said.

He also condemned the leak as a smear campaign.

It is interesting these leaks have come out now as well as the contents of them. It should be no surprise that Lai would possibly support pro-democracy groups because of his critical stance towards the mainland.

And what he does with his money is his own business. Surely other tycoons are donating money to pro-Beijing camps, perhaps even the anti-Occupy Central group that's collecting signatures now, and the total has far surpassed 1 million.

Lai is an outsider -- like Li Ka-shing he has built his riches from the bottom up -- but instead Lai focuses on his media projects and uses them as his bullhorn to express his disapproval of China.

As a result, it is alleged by Simon that banks such as HSBC and Standard Chartered stopped advertising with Lai's popular Apple Daily thanks to an order from the Liaison Office in Hong Kong.

This hit Lai's Next Media hard financially, but he still manages to do OK.

Which is maybe perhaps most locals don't really care about these email leaks on Lai in terms of how much he's spending on pro-democracy groups and activities...

He's on their side.

Picture of the Day: Threesome

Will there be more men applying for MasterCard than women?

Images used in advertising can subliminally influence consumers from deciding on what kind of milk to buy to clothing.

Depending on the advertising, the images give people a perception of what kind of lifestyle they will have -- or aspire to have -- if they buy a certain brand.

This ad on the taxi caught my eye the other day. It's a Standard Chartered bank advertisement promoting its MasterCard credit card.

And in it, is a man who looks successful and stylish, dining with two women in evening wear. On the table are Western dishes like rack of lamb, oysters, prawns and beef, and each of the diners are holding a glass of red wine.

The ad says, "Enjoy everyday rewards at all restaurants and up to 10% rebate till year-end".

We're assuming the man is paying with his nifty Standard Chartered MasterCard for this dinner, right?

And what about the ladies? Why is he in the company of two women? With statistically more women than men in Hong Kong, is this a hint that women are supposed to resort to sharing a man?

Or are they two lovely escorts he plans to continue having fun with after dinner?

Either way, to male consumers, the man in the ad is one lucky dog, and to women, an asshole.

Is this the message Standard Chartered and MasterCard want to send to consumers?

Or are we complete prudes and don't realize that threesomes are the "it" thing these days?