Tuan to again miss Legco bills meeting on CUHK as veteran council member quits

The president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, will continue to miss the Legislative Council bills committee meeting today on the reform on the university's council.

The news came as the university confirmed their veteran council member, Roger Luk Koon-ho, 71, resigned from the council after serving for more than two decades.

The former Legco member and retired banker did not give a reason for his resignation.

Legco's website said Tuan would not attend the third meeting of the bills committee today.

He has already been absent from the previous two meetings.

A spokesman for the Chinese University said Tuan underwent a medical procedure yesterday and was instructed by the doctor to take leave today.

He emphasized that the medical procedure was arranged before he was invited to attend the bills committee meeting.

The committee is discussing a bill to reform the university's council. Lawmakers are considering a move to summon Tuan to the meetings by citing Legco's powers and privileges ordinance.

But lawmakers are divided on whether or not to cite the ordinance.

The Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker, Dennis Leung Tsz-wing, who is also a member of the bills committee, said he hoped the university council could resolve the matter by itself.

"The committee should not cite the ordinance if the situation improves and lawmakers are able to get hold of sufficient information," Leung said.

Two other committee members - New People's Party's Lai Tung-kwok and Third Side's Tik Chi-yuen - both cast doubts on citing the ordinance.

Lai said members of the university council had the responsibility to supervise the operation of the university.

"The ordinance is our last resort. Now is not the time to draw a conclusion on whether to cite the ordinance or not," Lai said.

Tik said: "The powers and privileges ordinance should not be arbitrarily cited. The university's reform should be seeking consensus, not confrontations."

A lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tuan's absence in the meetings made it difficult for lawmakers to find out the situation of governance in the university.

It is understood that citing the ordinance is an attempt to force Tuan to appear in the committee meeting.

If lawmakers really decide to cite Legco's powers and privileges ordinance, the decision must be passed with a majority in all Legco's three constituencies - the geographical constituency, the functional constituency and election committee constituency.

The ordinance says Legco can summon anyone to testify before the council and present any documents in his or her possession.

Those refusing to attend the meeting can be arrested by the police and forced to sit in the meeting.