A close aide of former chief executive Leung Chun-ying will become the executive director of a foundation which was registered a decade ago with other close supporters of Leung.
Shiu Sin-por – former head of the Central Policy Unit – will be the executive director of the New Paradigm Foundation. He will lead a research project on the political theory of the “China model.”
According to documents accessed through the Company Registry, the foundation was registered in August 2007 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. However, it remained obscure until Tuesday’s announcement.
Shiu and Hang Lung Properties chairman Ronnie Chan – another close ally of Leung – were the company’s founding directors in 2007.
Currently, the other company directors include Cheung Chi-kong, a former Executive Council member and close aide of Leung; and Wong King-keung, a Hong Kong delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Shiu and Cheung had been working together at the One Country Two Systems Research Institute. The new foundation’s office is located at Baskerville House in Central – a Hang Lung property.
The Advisory Committee on Post-office Employment for Former Chief Executives and Politically Appointed Officials revealed Shiu’s new role on Tuesday after giving its comments. The committee, which has no legal powers, said Shiu should avoid all conflicts of interest and avoid revealing classified or sensitive information.
Bay Area, Belt and Road
Sophia Kao, a former full-time member of the Central Policy Unit and also a close aide of Leung, will join two other companies as a director – the Bay Area Hong Kong Centre and the Belt and Road Hong Kong Centre. Leung is also a director at each of the non-profit firms.
Kao, Leung’s election campaign aide in 2012, was often questioned over her role in personnel appointments during her tenure in the top government think tank, with accusations of nepotism.
Leung, currently a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attracted controversy over the two companies, as a pro-democracy lawmaker highlighted a potential conflict of interest. He did not declare his directorship at two firms until the media revealed the appointments.
The advisory committee also stated that Kao should avoid all conflicts of interest and not reveal any classified or sensitive information.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced that she will revamp the Central Policy Unit into a new Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Unit. Last month, the government published job advertisements to attract 30 young people to join, with wages up to HK$95,000 per month on offer.
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said last week that over 680 people had submitted applications. Friday is the application deadline.
Meanwhile, the advisory committee also revealed that former undersecretary for commerce and economic development Godfrey Leung will become the secretary general of the chairman’s office at developer K. Wah International.
