Team Lee takes shape

Chief executive hopeful John Lee Ka-chiu has appointed a three-member election campaign finance team to help him gather and manage funds.

The trio comprise Sino Group deputy chairman Daryl Ng Win-kong, former Legislative Council secretary general Pauline Ng Man-wah and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference delegate Eliza Chan Ching-har.

Daryl Ng, grandson of Sino founder Ng Teng-fong and son of the group's current chairman Robert Ng Chee-siong, will manage HK$3.6 million of Lee's electoral funds while Pauline Ng and Chan will be responsible for HK$7 million each.

The authorization was witnessed by Tam Yiu-chung, the sole Hong Kong delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Daryl Ng, Pauline Ng and Chan were members of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's campaign team in 2017. Pauline Ng was Lam's agent for electoral expenses, while Daryl Ng and Chan were deputy directors of her campaign.

Lee's campaign team also has media-savvy people from other blocs within the establishment camp, including Joanne Cheung Shui-lin and Jenny Wong Tsz-yuen.

The two had close ties with former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and they will be taking over the PR and promotion fronts in Lee's campaign.

Tam, who yesterday was at Central Plaza in Wan Chai, where Lee's campaign office is situated, looks like being the director of Lee's campaign while NPC delegate and former secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen will be the deputy.

Earlier, Lee, 64, left his Ho Man Tin home and also headed to Central Plaza.

That came a day after he resigned as chief secretary for administration in preparation for the campaign. His resignation is pending central government approval.

Tam Yiu-chung showed up soon after and said he was there to meet Lee and to discuss his campaign.

He said he will assist Lee in his election platform, including promoting him among Election Committee members.

"I believe he loves Hong Kong and loves the nation and the central government trusts him," Tam said.

Lam, meanwhile, said arrangements for an acting chief secretary were under way, though she could only nominate a candidate for Beijing's consideration.

She sought to allay concerns about any conflict of interest as Lee had been appointed chairman of the six-member Candidate Eligibility Review Committee as chief secretary but he was now a candidate himself.

"I will appoint a new chairman," Lam said, adding she was sure the review committee would be able to manage well enough.

While Lam refused to comment on potential candidates for chief executive she said the next person in the top chair would need to have a very good grasp of the principles of one country, two systems and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy.

"Whoever possesses these qualities I'm sure will be able to do the job well," Lam said.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong, separately, sidestepped media calls to comment on Lee.

"I have been taking part in policy planning in the past decade," he said. " I will only comment on policies and as a politically appointed official I will certainly not comment on my colleagues."

Acting Secretary for Home Affairs Jack Chan Jick-chi said he has worked closely and cooperated with Lee, but when asked about joining the next administration he limited himself to saying he was focused on his current tasks.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com

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