Chief executive's decision to remove Tsang Tak-sing a sign of Beijing's backing, sources say, but may spark resentment among other loyalists
GARY CHEUNG AND JOYCE NG
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 23 July, 2015, 3:42am
UPDATED : Thursday, 23 July, 2015, 3:42am
Despite his government's failure to push through the electoral reform package, Leung Chun-ying seems to have all his ducks lined in a row.
A week after the chief executive quoted National People's Congress chairman Zhang Dejiang as saying the state leader had "highly affirmed and is very satisfied" with his performance, he executed his biggest cabinet reshuffle by replacing two ministers.
The sudden departure of Tsang Tak-sing - jailed for two years for distributing "inflammatory leaflets" in the 1967 riots - from his post as home affairs secretary was particularly stunning as his loyalty to Beijing is beyond doubt.
People close to Leung took the central government's green light for removing Tsang as proof of Beijing's backing for the chief executive, whose intention to seek a second term is an open secret.
A person familiar with the sudden shake-up said Beijing and Leung were unhappy with the performance of the left-leaning journalist-turned-minister, adding that he was not proactive enough on youth work. It is a factor Beijing officials blame for leading to last year's Occupy protests.
Paul Tang Kwok-wai, who quit as civil service minister on Tuesday, was described as "too laid back" as head of the government workforce to ensure a harmonious relationship between the administration and civil servants' unions.
Leung refused to clarify whether the two ministers were sacked, while Tsang, 66, said in a statement he was "glad to retire". In a farewell message sent to his colleagues, Tang described the timing of his departure as "unexpected".
Fuelling further speculation, the pair were not presented to the media to announce their retirement - a departure from the handling of outgoing ministers by previous administrations.
In 2008, Frederick Ma Si-hang held a high-profile press conference after tendering his resignation as secretary for commerce and economic development for health reasons.
A veteran leftist who spoke on condition of anonymity said Leung's decision to replace Tsang would spark resentment among some people in the traditional leftist camp.
"Tsang's appointment as a minister has a symbolic meaning for many people in our camp. If Leung considered Tsang not up to the job, there are several other ministers, such as education secretary Eddie Ng Hak-kim, who are also not doing a good job," the veteran said.
"Why weren't those incompetent ministers sacked?"
Tsang's appointment in 2007 as a minister was seen as a breakthrough for the traditional leftist camp. The camp comprises people who have been Beijing loyalists for several decades, with many belonging to pro-Beijing groups such as the Federation of Trade Unions and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
The veteran leftist said many people in the pro-establishmnt camp were unhappy with people in the know telling the media that Tsang and Tang had been sacked and pointing out their "inadequacies".
The source familiar with the reshuffle said Ng faced difficulty in pushing ahead with national education in local schools because of resistance from the Professional Teachers' Union, which has more than 90,000 members.
"Ng has done his best to defend the government's position, such as by calling on educators not to join class boycotts in September last year," the source said.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.The leftist warned that Tang's abrupt departure would alienate civil servants: "Leung could face consequences for what he did. His controversial moves could backfire."
Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, who is Tsang Tak-sing's elder brother, said yesterday he was sure his sibling had not taken the initiative to leave the government.
Political commentator Johnny Lau Yui-siu said Leung's controversial move had irritated the traditional leftist camp.
"Many people from the camp feel they are unfairly treated. It could fuel their discontent with Beijing," he said.
A person close to the government said Beijing's endorsement of Leung's decision did not necessarily mean it supported Leung's bid for a second term.
"It is natural for Beijing to endorse Leung's decisions so long as they are not too unreasonable. But the central government might hold him accountable if the pro-establishment camp does not fare well in the upcoming district council and Legco elections."
Lau said Leung's reshuffle would damage the working relationship between the administration and the pro-government camp.
"If Beijing decides not to let Leung serve another term, it could easily cite the reason that he doesn't enjoy the support of the pro-establishment camp," Lau said.
Lau Kong-wah, who replaced Tsang as home affairs secretary, was tight-lipped yesterday on why his predecessor departed, but said he had learned "much valuable experience" from the former minister.
Lau, formerly undersecretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, declined to comment on the suggestion Leung was not happy with Tsang's work among the city's youth.
Lau, also a DAB member, pledged he would remain impartial when allocating resources at the district level.
He said he would communicate with political parties and independent politicians from different backgrounds.
A government source said Leung was pinning his hopes on Lau to strengthen youth work and district work, which would be crucial to his re-election.
Wong Ji-yuet, a spokesperson for student group Scholarism, said she did not think Lau was fit to steer youth policy.
"None of what he did in the past is related to youth development," Wong said.
"He has given people the impression he's not open-minded to all sorts of opinion or willing to communicate. I don't have much expectation of him."
Wong said that during the Occupy movement Lau had been responsible for communicating with the Federation of Students, which led the sit-in at Admiralty, but he did not make any attempt to talk to Scholarism despite the group being part of the protest leadership with members - including herself - taking part in a hunger strike.
Wong also said that an encounter with the Home Affairs Department on Tuesday had caused her to fear department staff would practise "self-censorship" under the leadership of Lau.
An NGO based in North district told her it had been forced to withdraw an invitation issued to her earlier to talk about "youth and democracy" at an event co-organised by the department because it been told "Scholarism would embarrass the government", Wong said.
The department's office for North district, in a reply to media inquiries, yesterday confirmed that it had suggested the NGO consider whether the topic was "appropriate or needed to be more specific" before inviting guest speakers. "Although this was before Lau took the helm, I'm afraid things will get worse under Lau," Wong said.
Ducks in a row or not, the days ahead may still prove challenging for the chief executive.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1842964/removal-tsang-tak-sing-hong-kong-government-sign-leftists
