Farewell to a dedicated leader: Director of Home Affairs Alice Cheung reflects on her legacy

Director of Home Affairs Alice Cheung Chiu Hoi-yue described her work as “the most grounded, frontline and livelihood-focused” as she prepares to begin her pre-retirement leave at the end of this month.

Cheung, who has dedicated nearly 40 years to public service, shared in an interview with Sing Tao Daily -- The Standard's sister publication -- that her time in the Home Affairs Department, where she has helped countless citizens, has fulfilled her life.

She noted that this joy “could not be found in other departments.” Expressing gratitude to Secretary of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau Alice Mak Mei-kuen for her unwavering support and guidance, Cheung described their relationship as “close comrades,” highlighting the enjoyable collaboration they shared.

Since taking on the role of director of Home Affairs in April 2022, Cheung has played a pivotal role in reconstructing post-pandemic communities and enhancing local governance.

She characterized her work over the past two years as “reformative, innovative, and pragmatic,” with a focus on improving the local governance system.

This includes significant reforms to the district council system and the establishment of Care Teams. The district council reforms emphasize “Patriots governing Hong Kong” and aim to improve administrative leadership in addressing livelihood issues while enhancing government-public communication.

In parallel, Care Teams have been instrumental in mobilizing community resources to support district initiatives, visiting about 340,000 elderly households and other needy individuals, and providing around 36,000 instances of basic home support or services.

“Both the district councils and Care Teams only ask about cultivation, not harvest,” she said.

In discussing the District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023, Cheung thanked her Home Affairs colleagues for their unwavering dedication, saying that they often worked late into the night to amend policies.

When asked for advice for her successor, Cheung humbly said she may not be in a position to offer tips.

However, she recalled the secretary’s hope that the new director would “have confidence,” be caring and responsible, and continue to uphold the spirit of “We Care We Serve.”

(Cheng Wong)