Surprise shake-up to align with Lee vision

Stacy Shi

A surprise midterm reshuffle of senior officials was announced yesterday, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu firing Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung.

Yeung, 61, and Lam, 63, were removed after two-and-a-half years into their jobs upon Lee's suggestion, the State Council said. Their tenures in their respective offices are the briefest on record.

Lee, who assumed office in July 2022, said the shake-up was made to align with his future governance directions.

"I have made my decision through a period of observation, judged what I want to do in the years to come and assessed what will make my governance even more effective and fulfilling," Lee said, without providing any specifics on what led to the sackings.

Yeung was replaced by Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, who was till yesterday the permanent secretary for housing as well as director of housing. Lam was succeeded by Mable Chan Mei-bo, who had been permanent secretary for transport and logistics since August 2020.

The new secretaries have each accumulated 35 years of experience in government service and possess strong leadership and communication skills, Lee said, emphasizing their shared vision for reform and their alignment with his governance philosophy.

"I appreciate the leadership, the articulation skills and also the proactiveness of Chan and Law, because these are exactly what I need in the years to come to ensure that we will reap the best results and also to ensure good governance," he said.

Lee added that following the challenges of the pandemic and the social unrest, Hong Kong needs to catch up on results. He expressed optimism that the new secretaries will significantly contribute to serving society and boosting the economy.

He expressed his appreciation to Yeung and Lam for their years of dedicated service to society, acknowledging their contributions and extending best wishes for their future endeavors.

Chan joined the administrative service in 1989 and has served in multiple posts, including with the former Planning, Environment and Lands Branch; the former New Airport Projects Coordination Office; the former Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau; the Education Bureau and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau.

She was commissioner for transport and what was formerly referred to as permanent secretary for transport and housing (transport) before serving as permanent secretary for transport and logistics in August 2020.

Chan said she is confident of bringing impetus to the bureau in taking forward various initiatives, particularly focusing on further developing Hong Kong as an international shipping and aviation hub.

In addition to making good use of the three-runway system to boost the capacity of the Hong Kong International Airport, Chan said transport and railway development is also pivotal to Hong Kong's economic development while the government has been working on a number of railway and road projects.

"In the coming years, I will be leading my bureau in taking forward steadfastly in order to make sure that these projects are implemented and constructed on time and within budget in order to better serve the population intake in various areas," Chan said.

Like Chan, Law joined the government in 1989 and held numerous positions. She served as deputy commissioner for tourism and commissioner for transport before becoming permanent secretary for housing and director of housing last year.

Law said she is fully prepared to embrace the commencement of Kai Tak Sports Park and will foster robust communication with mainland departments as well as engage with a range of stakeholders to guarantee the efficacious preparation of forthcoming events, including the National Games next year.

She said she is confident in her new position, adding her experience in various bureaus has helped her learn fast and adapt to changes.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com