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The Central People's Government, on the nomination of the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (June 23) approved the appointments of Principal Officials of the Third Term of the HKSAR Government.
Fifteen Principal Officials appointed under the accountability system are on non-civil service terms. They are:
Secretaries of Departments
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Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang Ying-yen
Financial Secretary, Mr John Tsang Chun-wah
Secretary for Justice, Mr Wong Yan Lung, SC
Directors of Bureaux
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Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen Ming-yeung
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Frederick Ma Si-hang
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam Sui-lung
Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow
Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue Chung-yee
Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan
Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor
Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau Tang-wah
Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng
Also appointed today are five Principal Officials heading the disciplined services, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Audit Commission for the third term of the HKSAR Government. They are the Commissioner of Police, Mr Tang King-shing; the Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Mr Timothy Tong Hin-ming; the Director of Audit, Mr Benjamin Tang; the Director of Immigration, Mr Lai Tung-kwok; and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen Ming-fai.
Meanwhile, the Government announced the appointments of Mr Norman Chan as the Director of the Chief Executive's Office and Professor Lau Siu-kai as the Head of the Central Policy Unit.
Following are the biographical notes on the appointed officials:
Mr Henry Tang Ying-yen
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Aged 54. Mr Tang was appointed the Financial Secretary in August 2003. Prior to this appointment, he was the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology.
Mr Tang has been a member of the Executive Council since 1997. He served as a member of the Legislative Council for seven years from 1991 to 1998. Mr Tang also served extensively on various government boards and public bodies, including the Trade Development Council, Town Planning Board, University Grants Committee, and Council of the City University of Hong Kong.
Before joining the Government in 2002, Mr Tang was a leading industrialist in Hong Kong. He served as the Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries between 1995 and 2001. He was also a Committee Member of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
Mr John Tsang Chun-wah
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Aged 56. Mr Tsang studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a master degree in bilingual education from Boston State College and a master degree in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Mr Tsang joined the civil service in 1982. His senior postings include Private Secretary to the Governor from 1995 to 1997; Director-General of the London Economic and Trade Office from 1997 to 1999; Commissioner of Customs and Excise from 1999 to 2001; Secretary for Planning and Lands from 2001 to 2002; Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning and Lands) from 2002 to 2003; and Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology from August 2003 to January 2006. He was appointed the Director of the Chief Executive's Office in January 2006.
Mr Wong Yan Lung, SC
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Aged 43. Prior to his appointment as Secretary for Justice in October 2005, Mr Wong was lawyer in private practice. He sat as Deputy High Court Judge of the Court of First Instance in July and August in 2003, and was a Council member of the Council of the Hong Kong Bar Association from 1989 to 1990, from 1997 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2005 and Chairman of the Special Committee on Legal Education of the Hong Kong Bar Association from 2003 to 2005.
Mr Wong has served as Chairman of the Buildings Appeal Tribunal, of the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Boards, and of the Non-local Higher and Professional Education Appeal Board. He has also served as Vice-Chairman of CEDAR Fund and Member of the Steering Committee and Volunteer of the Hong Kong Christian Concern for the Homeless.
Mr Wong graduated from the Cambridge University and was conferred Bachelor of Arts (Law) and Master of Arts (Law) Degrees. In 1987, he was called to the Bar in England & Wales and in the same year he was also called to the Bar in Hong Kong. He was appointed as Senior Counsel in Hong Kong in 2002.
Mr Michael Suen Ming-yeung
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Aged 63. Mr Suen joined the Government in 1966 as an Administrative Officer and was promoted to the rank of Director of Bureau in January 1991. During the early years of his career, he served in the former New Territories Administration, Resettlement Department and Environment Branch. Mr Suen was Deputy Secretary for Transport in September 1981; Director, City Services in the Urban Services Department in November 1983 and Deputy Director, Regional Services Department in April 1985. Mr Suen became Director of Regional Services in June 1986 and Regional Secretary (New Territories) of the City and New Territories Administration in December 1987.
Mr Suen was appointed Secretary for Constitutional Affairs in March 1989 and Secretary for Home Affairs in November 1991. Between March and early July in 1997, he was on temporary secondment to the Chief Executive's Office as the Secretary for Policy Co-ordination. He resumed his post as Secretary for Home Affairs on July 8, 1997 and took up the appointment as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs on August 4, 1997. Mr Suen has been Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands since July 2002.
Mr Frederick Ma Si-hang
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Aged 55. Before assuming the post of Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury in July 2002, Mr Ma was Group Chief Financial Officer of PCCW Ltd. He was also an executive director of the Group. Mr Ma has more than 20 years' experience in the global financial services industry. He has worked in New York, Toronto and London for nearly 10 years.
Before joining the Government, Mr Ma held a number of public service positions, including serving on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.
Mr Stephen Lam Sui-lung
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Aged 51. Mr Lam joined the Administrative Service in October 1978 and rose to the rank of Director of Bureau in August 2001.
Senior positions held by Mr Lam over the years include: Administrative Assistant to the Chief Secretary from 1989 to 1991; Director, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Toronto from 1991 to 1994; Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs from 1994 to 1996; Director, Handover Ceremony Co-ordination Office from 1996 to 1997, Director of Administration and Development in Department of Justice from 1997 to 1999, and Information Co-ordinator from 1999 to 2002. He has been Secretary for Constitutional Affairs since July 2002.
Mr Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong
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Aged 58. Mr Lee joined the Government as an Immigration Officer in 1974. He became Assistant Director of Immigration in 1995, and was promoted to Deputy Director of Immigration in 1997. Mr Lee was Director of Immigration between 1998 and 2002. He was appointed the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of the HKSAR in July 2002, and has been Secretary for Security since August 2003.
Mr Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hong Kong. He also received professional training from Tsinghua University on the Mainland, Oxford University in the United Kingdom, as well as Harvard University in USA. Mr Lee was awarded the Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Distinguished Service in 1998 in recognition of his exemplary contribution.
Dr York Chow
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Aged 59. Dr Chow is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession. He was appointed Hospital Chief Executive of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 1992 and Hospital Chief Executive of Queen Mary Hospital in 2001. He was subsequently appointed Cluster Chief Executive of the Hong Kong West Cluster of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority in 2002. He took up the post of Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food in October 2004.
Professionally, he served as President of the Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association, Vice-President of the College of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and was elected Council Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. He is currently an Honorary Professor in Rehabilitation Science at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and an Honorary Professor of the Medical Faculty of the University of Hong Kong.
Dr Chow participates actively in voluntary and community work. He served as Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Development Board and the Sports Institute, and as a member of the Rehabilitation Task Force.
He was elected Vice-President of the International Paralympic Committee in 1997-2005 and was Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Association for the Physically Disabled between 1986 and 2004.
Miss Denise Yue Chung-yee
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Aged 54. Miss Yue graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1974 and Harvard University in 1988. She joined the civil service in 1974 and has served in a number of senior positions, including Deputy Director of Regional Services from 1991 to 1992; Deputy Secretary for Trade and Industry from 1992 to 1993; Director-General of Industry from 1993 to 1995; Secretary for Trade and Industry from 1995 to 1998; Secretary for the Treasury from 1998 to 2002; and Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Commerce and Industry) from 2002 to 2006. She was appointed Secretary for the Civil Service in January 2006.
Mr Tsang Tak-sing
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Aged 58. Mr Tsang has served as Member of the Central Policy Unit since 1998.
Before joining the Government, Mr Tsang was engaged in journalistic work for nearly 30 years. Mr Tsang is a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People's Congress. He holds two Master's degrees from the University of Hong Kong: Master of International and Public Affairs; and Master of Arts in Comparative Literature. Mr Tsang was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University from 1994 to 1995.
Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
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Aged 56. Mr Cheung joined the Information Officer Grade of the Government in July 1972. He transferred to the Administrative Service in September 1979, and was promoted to his present rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in September 2004.
Mr Cheung has served in various bureaux and departments including the former Finance Branch, Home Affairs Department, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Government House, the former Industry Department, the former Trade Department, the former Financial Secretary's Office, Judiciary and Central Policy Unit. He was Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower from March 1996 to January 1999, Commissioner for Labour from January 1999 to June 2000, and Director of Education from June 2000 to June 2002. He was Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Labour), later retitled as Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Labour)/Commissioner for Labour from July 2002 to March 2007.
Professor K C Chan
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Aged 50. Professor Chan joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1993 and was appointed Dean of Business and Management in July 2002.
Professor Chan received his bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University and both his M.B.A. and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Chicago. His research interests include pricing of risky assets, the performance of equity trading strategies, market microstructure, and regulatory issues dealing with the efficiency of financial markets.
Professor Chan held a number of public service positions including: Chairman of the Consumer Council, member of the Commission on Strategic Development, Commission on Poverty, the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee, the Hang Seng Index Advisory Committee, and the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation. He is former President of the Asian Finance Association and current President of Association of Asia Pacific Business Schools.
Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor
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Aged 50. Mrs Lam joined the Administrative Service in August 1980, and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in September 2006.
Mrs Lam has served in various bureaux and departments including the former Housing Branch, the former Office of Unofficial Members of Executive and Legislative Councils, the former Medical and Health Department, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Security Branch, the former Survey Office, the former Securities Review Committee, the former Monetary Affairs Branch, the former Lands and Works Branch, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the Department of Health and the former Finance Branch (subsequently renamed Finance Bureau). She was Director of Social Welfare from August 2000 to October 2003, Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning and Lands) from November 2003 to May 2004, Director-General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London from September 2004 to March 2006. She has been Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs since March 2006.
Mr Edward Yau Tang-wah
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Aged 47. Mr Yau joined the Administrative Service in August 1981, and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2005.
Mr Yau has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Security Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the former Transport Branch, Correctional Services Department and the former Finance Branch. He was Deputy Director-General of Trade (later renamed Deputy Director-General of Trade and Industry) from January 1999 to May 2001, Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington from May 2001 to April 2004, and Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower from April 2004 to April 2006. He has been Director of Information Services since April 2006.
Ms Eva Cheng
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Aged 47. Ms Cheng joined the Administrative Service in August 1983 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in April 2007.
Ms Cheng has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Economic Services Branch, the Correctional Services Department, the former Secretariat of the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service, the former Education and Manpower Branch, the former Transport Branch and the former Financial Secretary's Office. She was Deputy Head of the Central Policy Unit from April 1996 to April 1997 and from August 1997 to December 1998, Deputy Director of Administration from April to August 1997, Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting (later renamed Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology) from December 1998 to March 2003, and Commissioner for Tourism from March 2003 to March 2006. She has been Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Economic Development) since April 2006.
Mr Tang King-shing
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Aged 53. Mr Tang joined the Hong Kong Police Force in July 1976 as a Probationary Inspector. He was promoted to Chief Superintendent in 1996, Assistant Commissioner in 1999, Senior Assistant Commissioner in 2002 and Deputy Commissioner in December 2003. He was appointed as Commissioner of Police in January 2007.
In recognition of his police service, Mr Tang has been awarded the Hong Kong Police Medals for Distinguished and Meritorious Service, the Colonial and HKSAR Police Long Service Medals and the Chief Executive's Commendation. He holds a Master's degree in International and Public Affairs.
Mr Timothy Tong Hin-ming
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Aged 57. Mr Tong joined the Government in November 1972, serving initially as an Executive Officer and later as an Assistant Trade Officer. He joined the Administrative Service in April 1992 at the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade C and rose to his present rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2005.
Mr Tong has served in various bureaux and departments including the former Trade Department, the former Security Branch, the former Urban Services Department, the former Education and Manpower Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, Home Affairs Department and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Geneva. He was Deputy Secretary for Security from January 1999 to September 2003. He has been Commissioner of Customs and Excise since September 2003.
Mr Benjamin Tang
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Aged 55. After graduating from the University of Hong Kong in Economics and Sociology and a brief stint working in the private sector, Mr Tang joined the Hong Kong civil service as an Administrative Officer in October 1974. He also studied at the Oxford University, the London Business School and the Toronto International Leadership Centre for Financial Sector Supervision. He served in various bureaux and departments and worked in policy areas that covered district administration, sports and culture, transport, municipal services and the environment. His career also included working in the Hong Kong Government Office in London in the mid 80s and the Independent Commission Against Corruption in the early 90s. He was the Government Printer from March 1998 to January 2000 and the Commissioner of Insurance from January 2000 to November 2003. Mr Tang left the Administrative Service and took up the post of Director of Audit in December 2003.
Mr Lai Tung-kwok
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Aged 55. Mr Lai joined the Government as an Assistant Immigration Officer in December 1973. He was promoted to Immigration Officer in September 1980, to Senior Immigration Officer in September 1986, to Chief Immigration Officer in February 1990, to Assistant Principal Immigration Officer in May 1992, to Principal Immigration Officer in October 1995, to Senior Principal Immigration Officer in April 1997 and to Assistant Director of Immigration in February 1999. He was promoted to Deputy Director of Immigration in January 2001. Mr Lai was appointed Director of Immigration in July 2002.
Mr Richard Yuen Ming-fai
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Aged 51. Mr Yuen joined the Administrative Service in August 1980 and is currently Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1.
Mr Yuen has served in various bureaux and departments including the former Security Branch, the former Home Affairs Department, the former Urban Services Department, the former Home Affairs Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Councils and Administration Branch, the former Finance Branch, the former Chief Secretary's Office, and the former Economic Services Branch. He was Deputy Secretary for Economic Services from October 1996 to August 1999; Private Secretary to the Chief Executive from August 1999 to October 2002; Deputy Director in the Chief Executive's Office from March 2003 to October 2003; and Commissioner of Insurance from December 2003 to July 2006. He has been the Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food since January 2007.
Mr Norman Chan
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Aged 53. Mr Chan was appointed Vice Chairman, Asia of Standard Chartered Bank in December 2005. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr Chan was Deputy Chief Executive of Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).
Having served as an Administrative Officer in the Hong Kong Government since 1976, he was appointed Deputy Director (Monetary Management) of the Office of the Exchange Fund in 1991. He became an Executive Director of the HKMA in 1993 and was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 1996. Mr Chan's responsibilities as Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA included reserves management and international affairs.
Mr Chan was Chairman of Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre and a member of the Committee on Governance and Political Development of the Commission on Strategic Development.
Professor Lau Siu-kai
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Aged 60. Professor Lau was appointed Head of the Central Policy Unit in July 2002.
Before joining the Government, Professor Lau was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was also Associate Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the university. He was actively involved in research work, covering social and political development as well as political systems.
Ends/Saturday, June 23, 2007
Issued at HKT 10:11
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