*****************************************************
The Chief Executive's Office announced today (September 12) that the Appointment Committee has appointed three Under Secretaries and two Political Assistants of the fourth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.
The Secretary for the Environment, the Secretary for Security and the Secretary for Transport and Housing have recommended Ms Christine Loh Kung-wai, Mr John Lee Ka-chiu and Mr Yau Shing-mu to be their respective Under Secretaries. The Appointment Committee has approved the recommendations. Ms Loh takes up office today while Mr Lee and Mr Yau will assume office on October 1 and September 15 respectively.
In addition, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs and the Secretary for Home Affairs have recommended Mr Ronald Chan Ngok-pang and Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai to be their respective Political Assistants. The Appointment Committee has also approved the recommendations. Mr Chan assumes office today and Mr Tsui will take up office on October 8.
The Appointment Committee is chaired by the Chief Executive and its members comprise the Secretaries of Department, relevant Directors of Bureau, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office.
The Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Ms Julia Leung Fung-yee, and the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui Hiu-fai, have been in office since July 1. The selection process for Under Secretaries and Political Assistants for the remaining bureaux is under way. The Government will make further announcements in due course.
Following are the biographical notes on the appointed Under Secretaries and Political Assistants:
Ms Christine Loh Kung-wai
-------------------------
Aged 56, Ms Loh was the Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit public policy think tank Civic Exchange until she stepped down on September 11, 2012. Prior to founding Civic Exchange in 2000, Ms Loh had spent nearly a decade as a politician and member of the Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000).
Ms Loh received her bachelor's degree in law from the University of Hull and her master's degree in Chinese and comparative law from the City University of Hong Kong.
Before joining the Legislative Council, Ms Loh held senior regional positions in commodities trading, as well as in project negotiation. She had been the Chairperson of the Panel on Environmental Affairs (1995-96 and 1998-2000), and founded or served on boards of a wide range of non-governmental organisations in Hong Kong and overseas concerning a variety of issues including environmental protection, urban planning and design, and equal opportunity.
Mr John Lee Ka-chiu
-------------------
Aged 55, Mr Lee holds a Master Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Charles Sturt University, Australia. He joined the Hong Kong Police in 1977 as a probationary inspector. He was promoted to Chief Superintendent in 1997, Assistant Commissioner in 2003, Senior Assistant Commissioner in 2007 and Deputy Commissioner in 2010.
During his service in the Police, Mr Lee has held a variety of posts responsible for operational duties, CID, Complaints Against Police, Service Quality, Personnel, Training, Information Systems, Finance, Policies Formulation, Planning and Development. He has been the Commander of Kowloon West Region, Assistant Commissioner (Crime) and Director of Crime and Security, and is currently holding the office of Deputy Commissioner (Management).
Mr Yau Shing-mu
----------------
Aged 52, Mr Yau was appointed as Under Secretary for Transport and Housing between August 2008 and June 2012.
Before joining the HKSAR Government, Mr Yau had been a journalist for 25 years. After having served Radio Television Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Standard, he joined the Hong Kong Economic Times in 1992 and held the post of Executive Chief Editor between 2000 and 2008. He also served on the executive committees of both the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Hong Kong Press Council.
Mr Yau has received a number of journalist prizes, among them Best Hong Kong Newspaper Reporter (General News) awarded by the Hong Kong Newspapers Society in 1986. He has edited and published books on various social issues such as youth problems and Hong Kong's economic prospects.
Mr Yau holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences of the University of London.
Mr Ronald Chan Ngok-pang
------------------------
Aged 29, Mr Chan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy and a Master of Arts Degree in Political and Comparative Sociology from Stanford University.
He served as an elected member of the Southern District Council in 2008-10. From 2010 to June 2012, he was Special Assistant to the Chief Executive's Office.
Mr Chan is a founding member of the Savantas Policy Institute.
Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai
-----------------------
Aged 35, Mr Tsui holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master Degree in Business Administration from the University of Manchester.
Mr Tsui worked at HSBC in Canada, the Bank of Montreal, Merrill Lynch, American Express Bank and Hang Seng Bank. He joined the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong in 2006. He was appointed as the Political Assistant to the Secretary for Home Affairs from June 2008 to June 2012.
Ends/Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 09:00
NNNN
