Carrie Lam asks ex-finance chief John Tsang to respect system for former officials amid employment dispute

Hong Kong’s leader has said she hoped former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah would respect an arrangement for former officials who had left the government for other professions or employment, even though the system did not carry any penalties.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor commented on Tuesday on a dispute between Tsang and the authorities which erupted over the weekend. The failed chief executive candidate had accused public broadcaster RTHK of suspending promotion of a television series hosted by him because he had not notified a government advisory committee about the filming.

Lam, speaking before her weekly meeting with her cabinet on Tuesday morning, said there was no political motivation behind the post-office declaration system.

The system struck a balance between the public’s power to monitor former politically appointed officials and the rights of these same officials, she said, adding that it had operated without problems for more than 10 years.

“If you go to the website and look into the dozen cases we’ve handled, there are many similar cases … no matter if they involved paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time jobs, including [former officials] being part-time adjunct professors at universities and hosting radio programmes,” Lam said.