Casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun yesterday made his first outing since his admission to hospital four months ago, attending a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of Macau's handover, where he had a five-minute chat with President Hu Jintao .
Dressed in a suit and wearing a mask over his mouth, the white-haired 88-year-old, in a wheelchair, was escorted by his family and medical staff as he left the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley to take a ferry ride to Macau at around 6am.
Accompanied by son Lawrence Ho Yau-lung and his third and fourth wives - Chan Un Chan (also known as Chan Yuen-chun) and Angela Leong On-kei, Ho arrived at the Macau Dome before the 10am ceremony. Ho and his family left at noon to return to the Hong Kong hospital.
During the ceremony, Leong and medical staff constantly talked to Ho and he listened attentively when Hu made his speech.
His wife, Leong, carefully removed a scarf covering his hands as he applauded Hu's speech. After the ceremony, Hu had a chat with Ho, who is undergoing speech therapy, a person close to the family said.
Hu praised the casino magnate as patriotic. Ho replied that Macau's future development relied on support from the motherland.
Speaking to reporters in Hong Kong after the Macau trip, Ho's other wife Chan said Hu also wished her husband a speedy recovery.
