Govt Announces 19 New Political Appointees

The government on Friday announced the appointment of 19 senior officials, including eight deputy bureau chiefs.

Two former political assistants have been promoted as undersecretaries. They are Jeff Sze for education and Lillian Cheong for innovation, technology and industry.

Businessman Clarence Leung, the son of Legco president Andrew Leung, has been appointed undersecretary for home and youth affairs.

Liu Chun-san is switching from being undersecretary for development to undersecretary for transport and logistics.

Raistlin Lau, who was deputy treasury secretary, has been made deputy chief at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.

The new housing deputy chief is Victor Tai, who was previously project director at the Architectural Services Department.

Libby Lee, the new undersecretary for health, used to be a strategy and planning director at the Hospital Authority.

A former assistant commissioner of police, Michael Cheuk, has been named undersecretary for security.

A number of the new political appointees have experience in the media, including Christy Leung, political assistant to the security chief. She was a South China Morning Post reporter who focused on security stories.

Former Wen Wei Po reporter Au Yeung Man-sin, meanwhile, is now a political assistant to the housing minister.

Former TVB journalist Joyce Li has been named as a political assistant to the chief secretary. She was previously a special assistant in the Chief Executive's Office.

The new political assistant to the financial chief, Yeung Tung-tat, has worked in the financial secretary's office for five years and also spent time as a journalist at Commercial Radio.

In a statement announcing the appointments, Chief Executive John Lee expressed confidence that the officials will be pragmatic and aspire to help build a capable government.

Most of the officials will start in their new roles on July 25.

So far, 25 undersecretaries and political assistants have been appointed and the government has said that more will be named in due course.