16 Hong Kong top advisers declare ownership of 110 properties and 450 plots of land; 7 affiliated with city’s golf club
- Ministers, top government advisers declare investments, properties and affiliation with community groups under transparency regulations
- Seven members of city’s key decision-making body report membership at Hong Kong Golf Club, which is lobbying against building public housing on part of its Fanling course
Sixteen top advisers sitting on Hong Kong’s key decision-making body own about 110 properties and more than 450 plots of land in total, according to their updated annual declaration-of-interest data.
It also emerged on Wednesday that seven of the Executive Council’s non-official members were affiliated with the Hong Kong Golf Club, which is lobbying against a government plan to build public housing on a portion of the city’s oldest course.
Among Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s governance team of 21 ministers, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu again emerged as the biggest landlord with seven local and overseas properties owned by himself, his wife or other family members.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, housing chief Winnie Ho Wing-yin and technology minister Sun Dong all owned properties located outside the city.
Ho declared ownership of an incomplete flat in Singapore and three local properties, while Sun reported co-owning an apartment in Beijing with his wife and another three in Hong Kong.
The information was made public on Wednesday as per government regulations. Apart from ministers, non-official Exco members also need to declare their investments, ownership of properties and affiliation with community groups.
The chief executive voluntarily observes the declaration arrangement.
City leader Lee reported that he co-owned a residential flat with a car park in Yau Tsim Mong district with his wife, for their own use, and had no properties outside Hong Kong.
Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, a lawmaker and chairman of the powerful rural group Heung Yee Kuk, owned the most properties among the Exco members.
He declared owning 20 residential and commercial properties, mainly for renting. He also holds 456 pieces of land in the New Territories, as well as two plots of factory land across the border in the Hubei and Guangdong provinces.
The lands in mainland China were being left vacant, he reported.
Fellow Exco member Arthur Li Kwok-cheung also boasts a large real estate portfolio, with more than 30 properties in the city, including a hotel in Yau Tsim Mong district that he and his family members indirectly own through a company.
Li also has two properties in the United Kingdom for his own use.
Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, an Exco member and lawmaker, listed 10 local properties under his ownership, including a block of a 12-storey industry building in Eastern district. He also owns a factory building and three pieces of land in Guangdong.
Both Kenneth Lau and Jeffrey Lam are members of the Hong Kong Golf Club, along with five others, according to the declarations.
The five are Exco convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and members Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, Ronny Tong Ka-wah, Moses Cheng Mo-chi and Margaret Leung Ko May-yee.
Ip previously expressed reservations about the government plan to take back part of the club’s golf course in Fanling with the initial aim of building 12,000 public flats. Tong has also called the decision a concession to “populist thinking”.
Political scientist Chan Wai-keung of Polytechnic University said that while all the declarations helped ensure transparency, public perception of possible conflicts of interest also mattered.
“So long as there is a transparent system of declarations of interests, that should avoid the problem. But sometimes the public can’t help casting doubt over whether some members may be lobbying for their interests through some other channels,” he said.
Exco members are currently required to declare interest in any item discussed by the body, ensuring the chief executive can determine potential conflicts and whether top advisers should withdraw from discussing a policy.
