Hong Kong’s next leader Carrie Lam spent HK$2m in wages for election campaign team

PR chief raked in HK$100,000 a month, it cost HK$300,000 to maintain Facebook page, while T-shirts for her big rally came in at HK$555.6 each

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The chief executive candidates (clockwise from above left) Carrie Lam, John Tsang, Woo Kwok-hing and Regina Ip. Photos: David Wong, Dickson Lee, Xiaomei Chen, Jonathan Wong

Published: 11:34pm, 26 Apr 2017Updated: 5:52pm, 27 Apr 2017

Hong Kong’s incoming leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor lavished over HK$2 million on her 80-member campaign team in the run-up to the chief executive election on March 26, although it failed to ensure her a smooth ride.

Sandra Mak Wong Siu-chun, a PR veteran in charge of publicity, charged an average of HK$100,000 a month, while HK$300,000 went on maintenance of Lam’s Facebook page, which was mostly flooded by angry emoticons.

The expenditure came to light on Wednesday when the Registration and Electoral Office released the declarations of expenses submitted by the chief executive candidates for public scrutiny.

Lam, the former chief secretary, won with 777 votes from the 1,194-member Election Committee. Key rival John Tsang Chun-wah, the former finance minister, secured 365 votes but proved more popular with the public.

Lam raised HK$18.7 million and spent HK$12.6 million, including over HK$831,980 on social media, online publicity and video production.

That included a lump sum payment of HK$300,000 to Daniel Tam Art Gallery – a photographer who specialises in family, wedding and pregnancy photography – for the maintenance of her Facebook page and provision of photo and video services.