JEFFIE LAM JEFFIE.LAM@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 29 July, 2015, 11:17am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 29 July, 2015, 11:58am
Johannes Chan said HKU's governance system needs an overhaul. Photo: Dickson Lee
A liberal University of Hong Kong scholar at the centre of a political storm today claimed a middleman assigned by the institution’s governing body had asked him “more than once” to withdraw from the selection process for a key managerial position.
The revelation by former law dean Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun came a day after the HKU council decided to stick to its guns in deferring his appointment as pro-vice-chancellor until September at a closed-door meeting, prompting angry students to storm the venue.
“I was asked to withdraw [from the selection process] more than once,” Chan told Commercial Radio. “I know some council members approached the middleman to tell me that.”
He refused to reveal who was behind the middleman, but ruled out Executive Councillor Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, who was appointed to the HKU council by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Chan said the middleman told him his withdrawal would resolve the saga and be in the university’s best interests – an argument he strongly disagreed with.
Students and HKU alumni have called for an end to the delay in Chan's appointment. Photo: Dickson Lee
“For the sake of HKU’s interests, they should not ask me to withdraw but instead, should follow basic procedures and values [in handling the appointment],” Chan said, adding the university’s management should not appoint officials based on their political stance.
Chan said he felt distressed about the HKU council’s decision last night to uphold its earlier decision to delay the appointment until a new provost reports for duty.
“I have never seen a top governing body … wait for a particular person to make a personnel appointment,” he said. “Since when is [HKU] ruled by men [rather than rules and procedures]?”
Chan also criticised HKU council chairman Dr Leong Che-hung’s suggestion yesterday to appoint the pro-vice-chancellor in September even if the new provost position was not filled by then, saying it reflected the council knew “there was nothing to wait for”.
Watch: HKU students block council member Arthur Li from leaving closed-door meeting
Chan said the saga was more than his personal business but had reflected the flaws of HKU’s governance system, where the chief executive was by default the chancellor of all Hong Kong public universities and had great power in appointing members to their governing bodies.
Despite the public outcry and the chaotic meeting last night, Chan said he preferred to keep a low profile to avoid giving people the impression he was speaking out for his own interests.
“My position is a bit embarrassing,” he said. “I would do harm to [HKU] if I seek a high profile …. I think the focus should not be put on a particular person but the whole system.”
