Liberal Party founding chairman Allen Lee dead at 80

Liberal Party founding chairman, Allen Lee Peng-fei, died last Friday at the age of 80.

His wife and family said in an obituary today that Lee passed away peacefully in the company of his family. The funeral will be conducted in private according to his will, and a memorial service will be held to let family and friends mourn him.

Lee was born in Yantai in Shandong province in 1940, and came to Hong Kong in 1954.

He was first appointed as a member of the Legislative Council in 1978 and later became a senior member. He founded the Liberal Party in 1993, and lost his seat to Cyd Ho Sau-lan in the Legco election in 1998. He resigned as chairman and later left the party.

He was also an Executive Council member between 1986 and 1992, a member of the Preparatory Committee of the HKSAR, a Hong Kong Affairs Adviser and had served as a deputy to the National People's Congress.

After retiring from politics, Lee took up posts as radio host and political commentator.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said today she is saddened by the passing of Lee and that she extends her deepest condolences to his family on behalf of the government.

"Mr Lee still cared very much about society after he retired from the councils and often offered his unique and insightful comments on social issues. He also hosted various current affairs programs in different media and interviewed members of the political and business sectors," Lam said.

"After assuming the office of the Chief Executive in 2017, the first television interview that I gave was hosted by Mr Lee, and the memory is still fresh in my mind."

In July last year, Lee and four senior figures of the Liberal Party urged Lam in an open letter to officially withdraw the controversial extradition law amendment and set up an independent commission of inquiry.

Liberal Party leader Felix Chung Kwok-pan said he was saddened by Lee's death, and that Lee had been a political heavyweight since the Eighties and made a lot of contributions to Hong Kong.