Hong Kong top job hopeful John Tsang raises over HK$2 million in first day of crowdfunding

Former financial secretary calls flying start to donation drive ‘unexpected’ as he picks up endorsement from ex-deputy to rival Carrie Lam

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At the start of the video, Mak Chai-kwong held an image of former finance chief John Tsang in front of his own face. Photo: Facebook

Published: 12:54pm, 3 Feb 2017Updated: 11:14am, 4 Feb 2017

Chief executive contender John Tsang Chun-wah raised more than HK$2 million on the first day of a month-long crowdfunding drive in which he is reaching out to members of the public to help fund his campaign.

Tsang, a former Hong Kong finance chief, announced the drive hours before his closest rival, ex-chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, held a campaign rally. Candidates for the city’s top job are not directly elected but instead chosen by a 1,194-strong election committee. New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and retired High Court judge Woo Kwok-hing are also candidates.

Watch: Mak Chai-kwong on John Tsang

“I am not alone in this campaign,” Tsang said on Friday. “I invited all Hongkongers to come on board and work with me on this together.” Asked whether he lacked money to finance his campaign, he replied: “This is a significant gesture to show people’s support for me. But I’m also hoping for some substantial contributions to my campaign.”

At 2am on Saturday, the drive had gathered HK$2,467,145 from 10,761 donors. In a video posted on his Facebook page earlier, Tsang said the level of support was “unexpected” and reflected how much people shared his vision of rebuilding trust and rekindling hope in the city.

This is a significant gesture to show people’s support for me

John Tsang

He said he had chosen a crowdfunding platform run by a Hong Kong company to encourage the development of local start-ups. If there was any surplus, he said, it would be donated to charity. His office has declared an estimated campaign budget of HK$15.7 million, which is the maximum allowed.

News of the fundraising effort came soon after an ex-development secretary and former aide to Lam threw his support behind Tsang.