Writing's clear on Lam stance

Could it have been purely by coincidence before the chief executive election that Allan Zeman, Cheng Huan and, most recently, Frederick Ma Si-hang have taken turns to criticize - both explicitly and implicitly - Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's response to the current wave of Omicron outbreaks?

Even if it were, the open criticism of Lam by three figures of influence in the city's political circles would combine to further eclipse her record-low popularity.

Although Ma, a former secretary for financial services and the treasury, stopped short of resorting to the more politically blunt form of an open letter as he questioned the ability of the current government, the impact within the local political world was no less than the open letters published by the first two.

Upset by the administration's poor communication, Zeman demanded greater clarity in information dissemination, to which Lam has responded by hosting a daily media session.

Cheng went a step further, claiming almost everyone he knew and had spoken to did not support what Lam was doing. He demanded a road map to a future where he and others would live with Covid - albeit not failing to insist that he was not trying to challenge the central government's zero-Covid policy.

By chance or not, Ma's contribution to Sing Tao Daily, The Standard's sister paper, broadened the criticisms over the government's Covid response to casting doubts on the administration's ability in general.

As he cited an adage by late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew that to stress the art of government was to get the right people in the right place, he did not merely have Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee or vaccine tsar Patrick Nip Tak-kuen in mind, but their boss too.

It would be difficult for Lam to defend the recent setbacks in battling the pandemic as she cannot blame the central government's zero or dynamic zero policy.

If Cheng could openly demand a road map to living with the Covid, could Lam?

In his editorial contribution, Ma identified four areas of deep-rooted problems. After housing, the aging population and economic transition, the ex-financial chief added the executive power of government as the fourth.

It may be the last on Ma's list, but it's certainly not the least. Perhaps Ma would have preferred to place it at the top as, once a capable government were in place, the rest would follow.

Ma said the executive power of the government has proven flawed in the fifth wave of outbreaks, so he may also be trying to impress that the current administration was also flawed.

Unless the chief executive election is postponed yet again, the election exercise will be open for nomination three weeks from now. To date, nobody has paid serious attention to reports that Lam may not seek a second term and anyone who may run would assume her candidacy.

After Zeman, Cheng and Ma, will more people of influence appear to question Lam's leadership as the election gets nearer?

Even though nobody - excluding non-starters like a self-declared kung fu master-turned YouTuber - has declared candidacy, the curtain has been raised.