Blend of old and new expected to fill Exco seats

Chief Executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu's office may announce the members of the Executive Council as early as today, according to sources.

It is understood that New People's Party lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee - who was first appointed to Exco by former chief executive Leung Chun-ying in 2012 - will be named convener.

Those who will be appointed non-official Exco members will be a blend of old and new faces from different political parties, sources said.

Expected to be reappointed are lawmakers Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, vice chairman of Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, and Heung Yee Kuk head Kenneth Lau Ip-keung.

New faces include Federation of Trade Unions president Stanley Ng Chau-pei and Chan Kin-por, chairman of the Legislative Council's finance committee.

Ip has said the Exco convener is more of a consultant role. She sparked speculation when she said she is willing to be the convener if she is invited.

The speculation was also fueled after incumbent convener Bernard Charnwut Chan said Ip is capable of being the convener as "she is a lawmaker and had been a government official, so she can connect with different political parties and sectors of society."

Meanwhile, outgoing Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang believes a transition of government and change in personnel will not affect the development of innovative technology, especially the mission to build an international IT hub in Hong Kong.

In a Facebook post after meeting with his successor at the Central Government Offices yesterday, Sit wished Sun Dong and the next administration all the best.

Earlier on radio, Sit said he knows Sun personally and respects him a lot as he is a scholar with good research capabilities as well experience in the application of research.

As a mainlander Sun does not frequently speak Cantonese, Sit said. But that should not be a problem as Hong Kong is a bilingual city, he added.

"As a politically appointed official, the most important job is to push forward policies, have knowledge in the industry and brainstorm policies within the government," he added.

Sit believes the most important part is to understand and find out the difficulties that people and the industry are encountering, while also daring to change and seek improvement.

Separately, Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants' Association president Li Kwai-yin said: "There are situations where the governing team will be ossified ... regardless of what is happening around the world and on the street, they will think that continuing doing it the same way will be fine."

So the governing team should also build an interactive relationship with the 180,000-strong civil service to step up their enthusiasm, he added.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com