Leave extension defuses Tsui resign speculation

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai has extended his leave to February 3, defusing speculation he has been ordered to resign.

Tsui had been expected to return to work today after completing a three-week quarantine following a birthday party scandal.

His case was said to be "especially disappointing" to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor for being among 15 serving or former government officials who attended Beijing-linked Witman Hung Wai-man's 53rd birthday party on January 3 despite restrictions imposed amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

A source close to Tsui said Lam had not told him to resign from his position. That was after a wide-ranging rumor that Tsui had indeed been told to quit.

While other officials who attended the party were returning to their desks today, it is understood Tsui was told to remain on holiday by the Chief Executive's Office.

As he took leave until February 3, he is expected to resume work on February 4 - a day after the Lunar New Year holiday - if he does not receive new instructions.

"Tsui did not receive any orders that he has to resign and plans to resume duty on February 4," the source said. "Therefore I do not know where that piece of information came from.

"There are established rules and procedures to penalize officials."

Undersecretary for Home Affairs Jack Chan Jick-chi, who also attended the party but did not need to need not undergo quarantine, will be filling in temporarily for Tsui.

It is understood Tsui was the only one among the 15 government-linked people who did not wear a mask and he stayed at the party the longest and also for dinner.

An official said Tsui was one of the main officials responsible for combating the pandemic, so Lam might need to consider a way to deal with him.

More on that could come from Lam this morning before she attends an Executive Council meeting.

Lam has already ordered Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive's Office, and Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, secretary for the civil service, to investigate the party incident, and she was to explain the incident to the public after the probe.

But word is that Chan had in fact submitted a report to Lam around a week ago, though it was decided to hold off during a "politically sensitive" time.

Other officials who were not required to be quarantined at Penny's Bay - including Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee and ICAC commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu - all returned to work yesterday.

Director of immigration Au Ka-wang is expected to get back to work today though this was the second time he breached social distancing bans, having dined with Evergrande Group's management last March.

He had apologized for that, claiming he had "learned a lesson."

Tsui, Au and Allen Fung Ying-lun, the political assistant to the secretary for development, were ordered into a 21-day quarantine after two guests attending the party were classified as close contacts.

Others were ordered to isolate themselves at home until they tested negative three times.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com

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