Probe reopens into complaints against bellicose RTHK reporter

Mandy Zheng

Radio Television Hong Kong will further investigate complaints against a staff reporter who had bombarded Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor with sharp questions at press conferences during the protests last year.

The public broadcaster told TV reporter Nabela Qoser that management had "reopened" the probe into complaints against her that were made between July and November last year, the RTHK staff union said yesterday.

The broadcaster also asked to extend Qoser's three-year probation period as a public servant by 120 days, the union added.

Qoser, a 34-year-old Hongkonger of Pakistani ethnicity, joined RTHK in 2017 after working for Now TV, Television Broadcasts and Ming Pao. She now works as a host of the current affairs program This Week.

It is understood that Qoser's probation was originally expected to end next month, but the broadcaster informed her of the new arrangements about two weeks ago, when she was on leave.

The union said Qoser was required to confirm whether she will accept the probation extension by tomorrow.

It added that management's investigation will be focused on Qoser's behavior at government press conferences.

Qoser became a topic of heated debate among web users after she confronted Lam during a press conference on July 22, a day after a group of men in white shirts attacked people in the Yuen Long MTR station.

"When the Legislative Council was stormed [by anti-government protesters last July], you came out to talk to citizens at 4am. Where were you last night?" Qoser asked Lam then.

"Did government officials, police officers and triads collude with each other yesterday?" She also urged Lam to stop evading reporters' questions and "talk like a human."

Qoser's questions and snarky comments have drawn controversies - some cheer her boldness while others hit her for being biased.

RTHK is said to have received over 1,000 complaints from the public against Qoser, although letters in support of her also flooded the broadcaster.

The union yesterday said it will seek confirmation from management about the move and push them to reveal who decided to reopen the investigation and the reasoning behind it.

Such a move "belongs to unreasonable repression," it added.

The union also said it was "extremely unusual" to extend a civil servant's probation due to an ongoing investigation as their promotion is usually based on assessment reports.

In reply to The Standard's inquiry, an RTHK spokeswoman said: "The government has existing mechanisms and procedures to handle contract renewals of public servants. We will not comment on specific cases."

mandy.zheng@singtaonewscorp.com