Ma says media missing the point in pay issue
It is not me who is particularly well paid; it is they who are low paid.
That was virtually the defence of new China Strategic Holdings non-executive chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang (below) when challenged about his HK$3.5 million remuneration package, which puts him among the highest-paid non-executive directors in Hong Kong.
China Strategic's appointment of the former secretary for commerce and economic development last week raised some eyebrows, Ma having quit his government post in June last year for health reasons. However, he claimed his chairman's role was simply to conduct a few meetings.
But that just begged the question of how he could justify the pay.
Yesterday, he said the average non-executive director's pay in Hong Kong was lower than the international standard, adding that a higher pay scale would help attract more talented people to join the board.
