Eight new faces set to join Lee's cabinet

Eight new faces, including three lawmakers and Greater Bay Airlines' chief executive Algernon Yau Ying-wah, are set to join incoming Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's cabinet of 22 members.

But the Secretary for the Civil Service, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau Tang-wah, will leave the government, sources say.

It is understood that Lee has finalized his cabinet following a revamp to add three deputies to the three top secretaries and expand the 13 bureaus to 15.

The eight newcomers include three professionals outside political circles.

Algernon Yau, who is a former head of Cathay Dragon, is tipped to replace Edward Yau as head of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, while University of Hong Kong liver specialist Lo Chung-mau, 61, will become secretary for health, and former Bar Association chairman Paul Lam Ting-kwok, 54, will be secretary for justice.

Asked if he will join Lee's cabinet yesterday, Algernon Yau said: "There are a lot of news reports. I'm not in a position to comment."

Two lawmakers from the city's biggest pro-Beijing parties get top posts. They are the vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, 47, who will become deputy secretary for justice, and the vice-chairwoman of the Federation of Trade Unions, Alice Mak Mei-kuen, 50, set to be secretary for home and youth affairs .

Election Committee lawmaker Sun Dong, 55, will head the new Innovation Technology and Industry Bureau.

At the Legislative Council yesterday, Sun was asked whether he is joining the government, but he only replied "Thank you."

The retired permanent secretary for the IT Bureau, Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the new deputy chief secretary for administration, while the ex-permanent secretary for development, Lam Sai-hung, will be the new secretary for transport and logistics.

Nine incumbent officials will be promoted.

The director of the Chief Executive's Office, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, will likely move up as chief secretary for administration, while the secretary for development, Michael Wong Wai-lun, will become deputy financial secretary.

Three current under secretaries - for the environment, Tse Chin-wan; development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho; and education Choi Yuk-lin; as well as permanent secretary for the civil service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan - will climb up the ladder and become secretaries for their bureaus.

The director of labor, Chris Sun Yuk-han, will head the labor and welfare bureau, while director of architecture Winnie Ho Wing-yin will become the secretary for housing.

The permanent secretary for security, Carol Yip Man-kuen, who had been subordinate to John Lee when he led the security bureau, will become director of Lee's Chief Executive Office.

Only five incumbent officials will stay in Lee's cabinet, but secretary for education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung will be assigned to head the new culture, sports and tourism bureau.

The four others are the Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po; the Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui Ching-yu. They will keep their current positions.

It was widely believed that Nip would be a shoo-in. Administrative officer-turned-minister Nip, who has been trusted by incumbent leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to push forward the city's Covid vaccination drive, was initially said to be taking over the Labour and Welfare Bureau.

Nip, 57, was appointed as secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs when Lam took office in 2017 but he was heavily criticized by the pro-establishment camp after the pan-democrats' landslide victory in the 2019 District Council elections.