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Ex-Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam makes surprise visit to food carnival, weeks after HK$9 million-a-year office becomes talk of the town
- Former chief executive visits ‘Hometown Market’ at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, tours several stalls and watches martial arts performance
- Government recently disclosed that her office cost taxpayers an estimated HK$9.17 million in the past financial year
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Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made a surprise appearance at a food carnival on Sunday, weeks after her office was revealed to be costing taxpayers HK$9 million a year despite her rare public outings.
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The former chief executive, whose term ended in July 2022, visited the “Hometown Market” at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Sunday afternoon and toured several stalls, sampling food, and watched a martial arts performance.
She stayed for less than 30 minutes, did not buy anything and took no questions from the press. But her appearance caught the public’s attention, with stall holders and visitors taking pictures with her.
Lam became the talk of the town a few weeks ago after the government disclosed that her office cost taxpayers an estimated HK$9.17 million (US$1.2 million) in the past financial year, including HK$5.67 million for rent and HK$2.86 million in staff expenses.
The sum accounted for about 44 per cent of the total expenditure for running all four former leaders’ offices, which stood at HK$20.99 million in the 2023-24 financial year.
Her One Pacific Place office is rented for HK$377,000 per month on a three-year lease to support her “promotional and protocol-related work for Hong Kong”, according to the government.
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