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The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (May 22) appointed the first batch of nine Political Assistants of the HKSAR Government.
The Chief Executive praised the new appointees for their passion and commitment. He said he was confident that they would be able to assist the Secretaries and Under Secretaries of Bureaux and work closely with the highly professional civil service to better serve Hong Kong.
The Political Assistants are appointed under the expanded political appointment system on non-civil service terms for the term ending June 30, 2012. The Government will make further announcements on the remaining positions of Under Secretaries and Political Assistants in due course.
The nine appointees are ˇV
* Political Assistant to the Financial Secretary, Mr Frankie Yip Kan-chuen;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Development, Mr Raymond Cheung Man-to;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Education, Mr Jeremy Young Chit-on;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for the Environment, Miss Linda Choy Siu-min;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Ms Katherine Ng Kit-shuen;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Food and Health, Mr Paul Chan Chi-yuen;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai;
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Zandra Mok Yee-tuen; and
* Political Assistant to the Secretary for Security, Mr Victor Lo Yik-kee.
Their biographical notes are as follows:
Mr Frankie Yip Kan-chuen
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Aged 38. Mr Yip holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree from the University of Hong Kong.
Mr Yip joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 2007 and is currently the Public Affairs Manager (External Relations). He is active in media commentary. Between 1992 and 2007, Mr Yip served as editor and editorial writer at a number of major newspapers in Hong Kong. He has also written a few books on politics and the media.
Mr Raymond Cheung Man-to
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Aged 46. Mr Cheung holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Postgraduate Diploma in Laws from Staffordshire University. He is a barrister-at-law.
Mr Cheung joined the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment & Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) in 2002 and is now the Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District of the DAB. He served as a Sham Shui Po District Councillor in 2000-2003 and 2005-2007. He is a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Sham Shui Po District Fight Crime Committee and a number of appeal boards.
Mr Jeremy Young Chit-on
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Aged 32. Mr Young holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Oxford University and a Master of Science Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London.
Mr Young is currently a senior manager at a logistics company. He has been a member of the Liberal Party since 2003. In 2006, he became a member of the Liberal Party's Hong Kong Island Regional Office Transportation Affairs Concern Group and the Youth & Womenˇ¦s Affairs Concern Group.
Miss Linda Choy Siu-min
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Aged 37. Miss Choy holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Communications from the Baptist University and a Master Degree of Science in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London.
Miss Choy joined the Hong Kong Disneyland Management Limited in 2007 and is currently the Director of Government Relations. She was a member of the Administrative Service between 1998 and 2004 and has twice served in the South China Morning Post. She was the News Editor of the Post before joining the Hong Kong Disneyland Management Ltd.
Ms Katherine Ng Kit-shuen
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Aged 34. Ms Ng holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law from the University of Cambridge, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law in London, and a Master of Arts Degree in Law from the University of Cambridge. She qualified as a solicitor in the UK and Hong Kong in 1998 and 1999 respectively.
Ms Ng joined Merrill Lynch, Hong Kong, in 2005 and is now the Director of its Legal Department. She has served at Linklaters' offices in London and Hong Kong, and was a Compliance Officer in Donald Tsang's election campaign for the Chief Executive of HKSAR.
Mr Paul Chan Chi-yuen
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Aged 28. Mr Chan holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from the University of Hong Kong, a Master of Philosophy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and a Master of Science Degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London.
Mr Chan is a Senior Research Assistant at the Governance in Asia Research Centre of the City University of Hong Kong. He is also a part-time lecturer at the Department of Politics and Public Administration at CUHK, and a presenter and commentator at RTHK.
Mr Chan is a founding member of the Roundtable group.
Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai
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Aged 31. Mr Tsui holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree from the University of Ottawa and is pursuing a Master Degree in Business Administration at the University of Manchester.
Mr Tsui is an Investment Services Manager at Hang Seng Bank. He has worked at HSBC in Canada, Bank of Montreal, Merrill Lynch and the American Express Bank.
He joined the DAB in 2006 and was elected in 2007 to his current position as Vice Chairman of the Young DAB.
Ms Zandra Mok Yee-tuen
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Aged 35. Ms Mok holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London and a Master of Arts Degree from the School of Oriental & African Studies of the University of London. She is pursuing a PhD course at Tsinghua University.
Ms Mok is a Senior Manager of the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre and writes articles on social issues on a free-lance basis. She has served as a senior reporter at TVB, a news producer at RTHK, a research manager of the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and a policy assistant of Anthony Cheung. She is a core organiser of the 30s Group Limited and councillor of the Hong Kong People's Council on Sustainable Development.
Mr Victor Lo Yik-kee
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Aged 55. Mr Lo holds a Master Degree in Business Administration from the Asia International Open University (Macau) and a Master Degree in Applied Criminology and Police Studies from the University of Cambridge.
Mr Lo joined the Police Force in 1976 as a Probationary Inspector. When he retired in February this year, he was Assistant Commissioner of Police and served as Regional Commander, Kowloon West Region.
Ends/Thursday, May 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:50
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