Asked if she would take lead role in civil campaigns after retirement, city’s No 2 official replies: ‘Certainly not’
KC.NG@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Thursday, 12 May, 2016, 5:11pm
Carrie Lam (centre) was leading a delegation to Sichuan. Photo: ISD
Hong Kong’s chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said she would not become another Anson Chan Fang On-sang, who seems to have developed a penchant for throwing brickbats from the sidelines after leaving the civil service.
Lam, the incumbent No 2 government official, was meeting the Hong Kong press on Thursday, during the last day of her visit to Sichuan province.
When asked if she would become another Anson Chan, taking a lead role in civil campaigns after retirement, she moved her head away from the reporters after uttering: “Certainly not.”
Chan served as chief secretary during the reign of former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, but quit in 2001 amid speculation that she did not get along well with the latter.
Since then, she has become a vocal critic of the administration and has been meeting local politicians during visits to Britain and the United States to voice her unhappiness with the Hong Kong government.
Anson Chan (pictured) and Carrie Lam have been seen to be at odds. Photo: May Tse
She and Lam have been seen to be at odds since 2013, when Chan asked Lam to quit if Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying continued to neglect her. Chan believed Lam was “not trusted” by Leung.
In 2014, Chan openly urged Lam to resign and not to help the government promote political reforms that Chan believed Lam herself might not find acceptable.
In an address during her visit to Britain last year, Chan also said she would probably have quit if she were Lam, warning the latter that she could lose credibility if she continued to “toe Beijing’s line”.
Lam denied Chan’s allegations.
During Thursday’s press session, Lam was also asked about whether she had ambitions of becoming the next chief executive of Hong Kong.
Of course, there were times that the implementation of policies was not as smooth as expected. But I hope the public could appreciate the achievements made by our policies.
CHIEF SECRETARY CARRIE LAM
She said: “I am proud of having served the government for 36 years, and 37 years by the time I retire next year. Over the years, I have done my best and spared no effort in my work in various positions.
“Of course, there were times that the implementation of policies was not as smooth as expected. But I hope the public could appreciate the achievements made by our policies.
“In the coming 13 to 14 months, I shall continue working hard in my capacity as the chief secretary.”
Lam had earlier said she would be retiring at the end of her term next year and had no interest in pursuing higher office.
She added that the Leung Chun-ying government had done a lot of work to improve the people’s livelihood and, in some areas, had done more than what had been promised in his election platform.
She cited government spending on social welfare, which had jumped 55 per cent since 2012.
Lam was leading a delegation to Sichuan for a three-day visit to inspect the Hong Kong government’s work in supporting the reconstruction of Wenchuan county, which was struck by an earthquake in 2008.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1944082/hong-kong-chief-secretary-carrie-lam-says-she-wont-become
