Who's who in John Lee circle of consultants

Tycoons Li Ka-shing and Lee Shau-kee as well as political heavyweights are consultants on an election team of 148 people assisting sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu's campaign.

The two real estate billionaires are among 58 consultants that Lee named on a Facebook post.

Others are also property developers heads, including Sun Hung Kai Properties' Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, New World Development's Henry Cheng Kar-shun and Sino Land's Robert Ng Chee-siong and his son Daryl Ng Win-kong.

Bank of East Asia executive chair David Li Kwok-po and the former director general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, were also named.

Also on the list were veteran political heavyweights who have rarely been seen in public activities, including 96-year-old former Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress Ng Hong-mun and the honorary president of the Federation of Trade Unions Cheng Yiu-tong.

Others include former Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese vice chair Lo Man-tuen.

On the 90-member presidium - a council of executive officers - are entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman and Standing Committee members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Henry Tang Ying-yen and Anthony Wu Ting-yuk.

CK Hutchison chair Victor Li Tzar-kuoi is also a presidium member, together with Charles Li Xiaojia, former chief of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.

Leaders of pro-establishment parties are on the presidium, including Starry Lee Wai-king of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Stanley Ng Chau-pei of FTU, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee of the New People's Party and Tommy Cheung Yu-yan of the Liberal Party.

The presidium includes presidents of multiple universities, including Zhang Xiang from the University of Hong Kong, Rocky Tuan Sung-chi from Chinese University as well as Teng Jin-guang from Polytechnic University.

Tam Yiu-chung, director of Lee's campaign office, said members of the group of consultants are influential and well respected within society.

"The presidium can serve a greater function in consulting, but its members do not have a particular job. If they voice an opinion, the campaign office will listen closely," Tam said. He hopes views garnered from the presidium will benefit Lee in writing his election platform, which is expected to be ready by the end of the month.

Lee will minimize his public activities to focus on writing it in the coming days.

Tam admitted there are people who declined the invitation to join the presidium or consultant team, but he said it is not right to name them.

Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa is not on the consultants' team or presidium. Tung has been resting at home following heart surgery and has been away from public activities since last September. He did not nominate Lee for the chief executive race.

Richard Li Tzar-kai, chairman of PCCW and son of Li Ka-shing, is missing from the list.

Richard Li was one of 786 Election Committee members who nominated Lee.

The only lawmakers not in the pro-establishment camp - the social sector's Tik Chi-yuen from the Third Side party - is on neither list.

The government confirmed earlier this week that former chief secretary for administration Lee was the only candidate nominated to run in the chief executive election.

That clears the way for him to take over the reins following an uncontested election on May 8.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com

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