Clement Woo Kin-man, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, has been appointed Acting Secretary of the bureau.
The appointment follows the resignation of Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, who stepped down citing health reasons.
In a statement this morning, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the search for a suitable candidate is now underway, during which Woo will lead the bureau.
Woo, 59, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), holds a mechanical engineering degree from Imperial College London and an Executive Master of Public Administration from Tsinghua University.
Prior to his political career, he operated a trading company and served as an auxiliary police officer.
He served on the Tai Po District Council from 2015 until an electoral defeat in 2019, prior to his appointment as Under Secretary in October 2021.
Following the tragic fire at Wang Fuk Court last November, Woo, who had previously served as the advisor to the estate owners' corporation, clarified that he resigned from that position in October 2021.
He further assured that he had no involvement in the tender process for the major renovation conducted on May 16, 2023.
Rumors surrounding Tsang's resignation had circulated before the announcement, particularly after Woo filled in for Tsang at the 15th Five-Year Plan meeting last week. However, he offered no comments on the speculations.
