Ex-Hong Kong official offers weekly dose of positivity in new talk show with prominent figures, including property tycoon for opener
- Former commerce minister Frederick Ma will interview people from the world of business, banking and entertainment in 10-episode series
- Gambling tycoon Lui Che-woo, Ma’s first guest, speaks about poverty, peace, resilience and the moments in his long life that made him cry
Former commerce minister Frederick Ma Si-hang has vowed to inject a weekly dose of positivity into Hong Kong with a new talk show featuring exclusive interviews with prominent figures, including a property tycoon who shared his rags-to riches story.
In the first episode that aired on Saturday night, Ma interviewed gambling tycoon Lui Che-woo, founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group and K. Wah International Holdings, who encouraged Hong Kong people to remain resilient amid hardship.
Asked for his words of wisdom for Hongkongers, 92-year-old Lui said he had only two to offer – “poverty” and “peace”.
“I’ve been through poverty, I’ve witnessed war and instability. I’ve experienced everything,” he said. “If you are poor, you are at peace, it doesn’t matter … You won’t be thinking of doing foolish or indecent things, and at the end of your poor days, your better days will come.”
In a rare show of emotion, tears also welled up in Lui’s eyes. Asked about moments in his life that had made him cry, Lui said it broke his heart to see illegal mainland Chinese immigrants being sent back across the border after being caught by British colonial police or border forces.
“After 1949, Chinese people still had a difficult life, and everyone wanted to come to Hong Kong … If you saw them being caught and sent back on trucks to Shenzhen, you could not help but cry,” he said.
“Seeing and hearing this as a teenager, we would toss some old clothes and food onto the trucks, it’s so sad that you cannot help but cry.”
