Chan Vows to Address Medical, Housing Woes

4 ELECTION Tuesday, November 27, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Opposition’s ‘radical behavior’ led to defeats By JOSEPH LI and LI BINGCUN in Hong Kong The current social The opposition camp’s defeat in Sunday’s Legisla- atmosphere is tive Council by-election should be a stern warning to relatively peaceful them — as their radical and as people are sick irrational behavior in recent years cost them dearly with of political bicker- voters, political experts said on Monday. ing.” Local residents have Ronny Tong Ka-wah, grown impatient to political executive councilor wrangles, due to a shift in people’s concerns about livelihood issues and economic said the March defeat alone development, they said. had been a warning to the Their remarks came after opposition — who had never the camp lost the seat in the lost a by-election in the fi rst- Kowloon West geographical past-the-post format before. constituency — often seen “My advice to them is they as one of the camp’s strong- become a ‘loyal opposition’. holds — for the second time, And they should be willing Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan, having emerged victorious in Sunday’s Legislative Council by-election, goes on a thank-you tour on Monday and meets with constituents in Kowloon City. following their defeat in this to operate within the Con- ROY LIU / CHINA DAILY constituency in March. stitution and Hong Kong’s In the by-election, pro- Basic Law. They don’t need establishment candidate to agree with the govern- Results of the Legislative Council Kowloon Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan ment on every issue. If they West geographical constituency by-election: polled 106,457 votes, beating wish to make suggestions, Chan vows to address her main rival Lee Cheuk- they should present them in yan from the opposition a rational, peaceful and prag- Chan Hoi-yan 106,457 (49.3%) camp. Moreover, her votes matic manner,” Lau said. surpassed the total number Echoing Lau, Ronny Tong Lee Cheuk-yan 93,047 (43.1%) received by Lee and another Ka-wah, a senior counsel and medical, housing woes opposition representative, member of the city’s Execu- Frederick Fung Kin-kee. tive Council, said that the Focusing on grassroots, lawmaker-elect keen to resolve Fung Kin-kee 12,509 (5.8%) Consecutive LegCo by- current social atmosphere is election losses in less than relatively peaceful as people housing issue, ease pressure on public healthcare services Ng Dick-hay 1,650 (0.8%) a year were very signifi cant are sick of political bickering. for the opposition camp, If the opposition camp noted Lau Siu-kai, a politi- keeps taking advantage of By KATHY ZHANG and ing out the housing problem, Inside Tzeng Li-wen 1,307 (0.6%) cal analyst. He believes the social tensions and promot- XIE SHUDAN in Hong Kong especially for the grassroots, humiliating defeat on Sun- ing an anti-government atti- and relieving the pressure on To the point > p9 day shows the opposition tude, they are “putting their Lawmaker-elect Rebecca public healthcare services. Composition of the is losing the support of the political future in jeopardy”, Chan Hoi-yan on Monday In addressing the housing 70-seat Legislative people. said Tong. Council pledged to make people’s live- issue, she proposed increas- due to her “rich working expe- No of registered The latest loss also showed He suggested the camp ing the number of transitional rience” in the media and gov- their power to mobilize peo- abandon this radical lihoods a top priority — with electors: particular emphasis on medi- houses, and providing rental ernment. ple was waning too, added approach and negotiate cal and housing issues. subsidies to people who have Siu hopes Chan will do more 487,160 Lau, who is also vice-presi- rationally with the special Chan made the remarks to been on the queue for public work to shorten the waiting dent of national think-tank administrative region and the media before she went to rental housing for more than time for public healthcare Chinese Association of Hong central governments on Kowloon City to thank voters three years. services and improve environ- No of votes cast: Kong and Macao Studies. issues truly benefi cial to local for supporting her in Sunday’s Chan, previously a political mental and sanitation prob- 216,000 “The opposition’s cam- people. Legislative Council Kowloon assistant to former secretary lems in the district. paign was not helped by Chief Executive Car- West geographical constitu- for food and health Ko Wing- “I believe Chan will bring internal strife within the rie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s Turnout: ency by-election. man, also proposed expanding new energy to LegCo meetings camp, which is losing sup- pragmatic approach to gov- Chan, a former journalist, the capacity of specialist and rather than fi libusters; she can 44.4% port of the middle class and ernance has reduced politi- won 106,457 votes and secured general out-patient clinics, as put forward pragmatic sug- young people, while Lee was cal polarization. Therefore, the seat vacated by disquali- well as o ering medical vouch- gestions to the government,” Pro-establishment camp Geographical constituencies not liked by the middle class more attention was being fi ed lawmaker Lau Siu-lai, and ers worth HK$3,000 annually said Siu. Functional constituencies because of his pro-labor paid to economic develop- will be sworn in at Wednes- to senior residents aged 60 Another Chan supporter, a stance,” he said. ment, said James Sung Lap- day’s LegCo meeting. or above. Under the current resident in Yau Ma Tai and a Opposition camp Geographical constituencies “In fact, after the illegal kung, political analyst at City Chan noted that after practice, senior citizens aged journalist surnamed Ho, said Functional constituencies ‘Occupy Central’ movement, University of Hong Kong. assuming office, she would 65 or above are entitled to a she has faith in Chan. This is Vacant most Hong Kong people “Unaware of the trend, the submit proposals to tackle HK$2,000 medical voucher because she had worked for crave peace, stability, pros- opposition camp has kept problems relating to people’s each year. the government and knew perity, as well as law and touting political agendas, livelihoods — so voices of the Chan’s previous working about pressing issues. especially for specialist ser- Chan, 41, was the youngest order. They dislike people which caused its defeat,” said powerless in society could be experience and her image as Concerned about a shortage vices,” Ho stressed. of the fi ve by-election candi- who make trouble and vio- Sung. This ignorance is espe- better heard. a relatively young candidate of public healthcare resources, Li Hou-ling, 61, a booth dates. After she takes the oath late the law, thus undermin- cially fatal in the Kowloon “I will carry out the neces- helped her garner numerous Ho said she hopes Chan will owner in Kowloon City mar- to assume office, she will be ing the opposition’s strength West constituency, where sary work in accordance with voters, according to her sup- ask the government to increase ket, said she hoped the young the youngest lawmaker in the to play up political issues grassroots voters who think my manifesto and meet my porters. spending in this area to allow lawmaker-elect could help current-term LegCo. and mobilize people,” Lau much about livelihood issues commitments once I assume Member of Kowloon City the grassroots easier access to improve healthcare for dis- added. are the majority, he added. o ce,” said Chan. District Council Terence Siu public medical services. advantaged groups, includ- Contact the writers at Asked whether the two Her election manifesto laid Tin-hung, 27, volunteered to “Numerous patients have ing elderly people and cancer kathyzhang@chinadailyhk. defeats sounded an alarm Contact the writers at out that she will focus on sort- help Chan in the by-election been waiting for too long — patients. com bell for the opposition, Lau [email protected] Electorate voted for ‘better livelihoods and stronger economy’ By JOSEPH LI and Lee. “Hong Kong people are Lai-tai and former secretary perity and stability. CHEN ZIMO in Hong Kong tired of nuisances and internal for justice Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, disruption. If Lee Cheuk-yan who rarely get involved with incumbent LegCo member The victory of Rebecca Chan won, he would have stirred election candidates, actively who is also from the Kow- Hoi-yan from the pro-estab- up trouble in the legislature.” supported Chan. loon West constituency, said lishment camp in Sunday’s Lee, who was closely behind Tam Yiu-chung, the city’s the pro-establishment camp Legislative Council Kowloon Chan’s victorious campaign, sole member of the National achieved the victory by being West geographical constitu- said the pro-establishment People’s Congress Standing united. ency by-election shows Hong camp had now secured back- Committee, said Chan won “The whole camp put con- Kong people prioritize eco- to-back by-election triumphs because she had responded siderable e orts into this cam- nomic and livelihood issues, over the opposition. to people’s desire to have paign. We put the big picture senior politicians said on The same constituency held improved livelihoods and a first and showed a spirit of Monday. another by-election in March stronger economy. selfl essness,” she said. Starry Lee Wai-king, chair- that saw Vincent Cheng Wing- Chan adopted a rational The result showed a change woman of the city’s largest shun, also from the pro-estab- approach — putting liveli- in the political and social cli- political party — the Demo- lishment camp, win a seat hood issues fi rst and setting mate in Hong Kong, Leung cratic Alliance for Betterment vacated by the separatist and aside political differences.

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