Localist slammed after heartlessly mocking Chuang husband's death

Lingnan University has distanced itself from former staff Horace Chin Wan-kan, who directed a cruel taunt at the Center for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan about losing her husband to cancer.

Chin, the "father of localism" and commonly known as Chin Wan, wrote on Facebook "at last we have some good news after fighting the pandemic for so long" after Chuang's husband died on Sunday.

He wrote that Chuang "made this pandemic, leading to Hongkongers losing their jobs, businesses closing down and students losing [school time]. Now karma has landed on her family."

After people from across the political spectrum criticized him he cited a supporter who said he was right with his remark.

In separate posts later, he called on people to file complaints to Lingnan University if they found his remark offensive.

But the university "seriously condemned" Chin's remark and denounced him as "heartless, cold-blooded and shameful." It emphasized that Chin is no longer on its staff.

Chin was an assistant professor in the Chinese department for seven years but was out of a job in 2016, failing to get his contract renewed after the 2014 Occupy Movement.

"The university noticed that Chin humiliated officers from the Centre for Health Protection on social media and asked people to complain to us," the university said.

"Chin's tenure with the university ended in August 2016" and they no longer have ties, it added.

It said it reserves the right to legal action for Chin's comments, which might affect the university's reputation.

Chuang's husband, Charles Yu Ngok-fung, a dentist who owned a clinic in Jordan, passed away due to a brain tumor at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Chuang, the face of the government's daily Covid-19 briefings, was not on duty on Saturday and Sunday but hosted the Monday briefing. And she had nothing to say on family matters.

Politicians from both sides were among those expressing condolences.

And an online user noted in remarks directed at Chin that some people found a sort of "happiness when a family member of a person they hate dies. I think many people wish you the same."

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com