Arthur Li asserts control in HKU Council on Day One; PCPD appoints new member; New Tuen Mun District Officer assumes office.

The Ls: Pro-est figures dominate HKU nomination committee

Arthur Li (李國章) did little to allay fears that his appointment by the Chief Executive was part of a direct line to control all appointments at the University. In his first Council meeting, he appointed Lo Chung-mau (盧寵茂), the ‘diving’ professor, and Margaret Leung Ko May-yee (梁高美懿), deputy chairman and managing director of Chong Hing Bank, to the council’s nomination committee.

The committee is responsible for the nomination of six appointed members to the Council and consists of the president (Peter Mathieson), the council chairman (Li himself) and two other council members. Given that both Lo and Leung voted against the appointment of Johannes Chan (陳文敏) as pro-vice-chancellor in late September last year, the ‘Tsar’ was making a show of force to assert his power on Day One.

These appointments were arguably more important than the hoopla that surrounding the meeting arising from strident protests. The protests likely diverted attention away from the complete consolidation of pro-establishment figures on the board that controls future appointments. With the new composition, it is unimaginable that a Johannes Chan type figure could even be nominated. In future, it will be much easier to sideline candidatesmuch earlier in their careers.

PCPD appoints new members to Standing Committee on Technological Development

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data appointed Mark Parsons to the Standing Committee on Technological Development along with four re-appointments for a term that will last till December 31, 2017.

Mr Parsons is a TMT partner of international law firm Hogan Lovells and he specialises in the areas of technology, media and telecommunications. The Canadian trained (University of Toronto) lawyer is admitted in England/Wales and Singapore.

He has often spoken on the need to balance the government’s impulse for control through onerous regulation and overburdening new technology firms with excessive red tape.

The committee is tasked to advise the commissioner on the impact of computer technology and data processing developments on privacy issues.

New Tuen Mun District Officer appointed

Aubrey Fung Ngar-wai (馮雅慧) assumed the post of District Officer (Tuen Mun) on January 25, 2016.



Ms Fung joined the Government in 1996 and was the Principal Assistant Secretary for Home Affairs (Civic Affairs) before taking up the new post. Ms Fung was the face of the government pilot programme to provide free legal advice for litigants in civil cases (see video here).