Carrie Lam's Popularity 'at All-time Lows'

The latest popular opinion survey conducted by veteran pollster Robert Chung shows Chief Executive Carrie Lam's popularity has plunged to new lows.

More than 1,000 people were questioned over the phone from July 17 to 19, just days before an attack by suspected triad members on protesters and civilians in Yuen Long. On a scale of 0 to 100, they gave Lam a support rating of 30.1, down from 33.4 in the previous poll earlier this month.

That's also the lowest score for a Hong Kong Chief Executive.

Lam's previous low score was 32.8 last month.

Her net approval rate also fell to a new low.

When asked if they would vote for her as Hong Kong's leader if a Chief Executive election were to be held tomorrow, 21.4 percent said they would, 70.3 percent said they would not, generating a net approval rate of minus 48.8 percent.

That's worse than minus 40.2 percent in the previous poll.

On their views on the economy, livelihood issues and politics, respondents were least satisfied with the political situation.

Chung, who now leads the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, said those numbers could have been worse if the poll were conducted after the July 21 Yuen Long attack.

"With the situation further deteriorating ... we just hope that the government will do something wiser and quicker," he said.

Chung said Beijing, rather than the Hong Kong government alone, should act to try to resolve the extradition bill crisis.