Sun Hung Kai Properties chairman and MD Thomas Kwok has dismissed as “hilarious” a claim that chief executive CY Leung has infuriated big business in his desire to build homes for the masses

Angry with CY? That’s hilarious, says tycoon
Kelly Ip
Tuesday, December 24, 2013

A tycoon has dismissed as “hilarious” a claim that the chief executive has infuriated big business in his desire to build homes for the masses. Basic Law Committee member Maria Tam Wai-chu made the claim during a radio interview in which she spoke of Leung Chun-ying’s dedication and his ability to overcome past problems.But Sun Hung Kai Properties chairman and managing director Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong said the claim is laughable since big business “does not interfere with governance and only puts forward opinions.”

“Business corporates can only express opinion. Whether the government listens is something else,” Kwok said.

He added: “Sun Hung Kai Properties has never obstructed the government’s governance.”

Tam had used the radio interview to sing the praises of Leung.

“He has made great efforts to shovel away big old problems,” she said.

“People used to mention collusion between big business and government but now Leung may have infuriated business corporates in looking for land to build flats.

“Now people blame him for other things instead of collusion.”

She also said Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is performing well in her position.

Turning to political reform, Tam said it is worth considering the public recommendation mechanism for nominating candidates contesting the 2017 chief executive election.

Under the mechanism, proposed by University of Hong Kong law professor Albert Chen Hung-yee, nominating committee members can put forward

those candidates who have the backing of a set number of registered voters.

Tam said that while the mechanism does not comply with the Basic Law, it is worth considering as long as it does not undermine the powers of the committee.

“No proposal should require the nominating committee to only confirm and accept candidates.The committee must never be overriden or weakened.”

She said Hong Kong people cannot selectively choose the mode of universal suffrage to which they aspire as the Basic Law gives no power for Hong Kong to bypass the committee in nominating chief executive candidates.”Hong Kong does not have residual power to invent another system,” Tam said.

A Chinese-language newspaper quoted Martin Lee Chu-ming, Basic Law drafting committee member and founding chairman of the Democratic Party, as saying the Basic Law does not mention that the nominating committee has to be formed by the four sectors – business, professional, political and social and labor groups – as is the case with the Election Committee.

Lee questioned why the four sectors have to be retained when the formation of the nominating committee is being discussed 16 years after the handover.

In response, Tam said Lee’s understanding of the Basic Law has always been different from other members of the drafting committee.