Former Hong Kong district councillors struggle to find jobs, some start businesses ‘to keep in touch with community’
- Hope and despair as opposition politicians start rebuilding their lives after leaving council jobs
- Some claim prospective employers won’t hire them because of their past in opposition politics
Tucked away in a busy shopping centre in Sheung Wan, amid the bright lights of electronic shops and nail bars, is a new store called “Until We Meet Again”.
Its main attraction is a large 24-hour vending machine selling spicy pork snacks and ginger tea from Taiwan, and hand sanitiser.
The shop was opened last week by former district councillor Bonnie Ng Hoi-yan, 37, joining more than 260 of her colleagues in the opposition who resigned or were ousted over the summer.
The former member of the Central and Western district council said the shop occupied her old office and was a way for her to continue serving residents.
“Although I’m not a district councillor, I’ll still try my best to serve them,” she said.
While many, like Ng, have gone into business, others have struggled to find work because of their political backgrounds.
