The new administration has enjoyed a good start but still needs more time to patch up old wounds, according to former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah.

Tsang has maintained a low profile since his defeat in the chief executive election in March but he showed up yesterday at a charity event he is supporting.

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's administration started well and has done nothing to further polarize society, Tsang told a radio program. However, he recognized the existence of rifts in many areas and that these would take time to mend.

During the election campaign, Tsang had suggested that Hong Kong would suffer "rift 2.0" if Lam became chief executive. Yesterday, he said rifts could not be 100 percent mended but that society should give Lam more time.

The co-location arrangement of the Express Rail Link could be the trigger point for a new round of social polarization, though Tsang agreed that it would bring economic benefits.

"People in the government who are cleverer than me can handle it," Tsang said, without answering whether he supported the arrangement. Whether society endorses the arrangement depends on how the government handles it, he said.

Tsang said his retirement has brought him certain benefits, including peace of mind. He said he felt relaxed after his election defeat and enjoys watching on television how Lam meets the media every Tuesday before the Executive Council meeting.

"I don't need to have [an official] line for everything I say, and I can say whatever I want after losing the election," Tsang said.

This was not the case in the past as he could not contradict the official stance of the government.

He said he has not been offered any official position although he would consider accepting one if the government finds him useful.

Tsang said he would not rule out the possibility of establishing his own non- government organization as did another former financial secretary, Antony Leung Kam-chung. However, there were already many such NGOs and another one would only be doing repetitive work.

He revealed that he would perform at Concert in the Dark, organized by the Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong Foundation from August 24 to 27, and sing Wandering Chinaman, a song about how early Chinese immigrants suffered in the United States.

The last time he sang publicly was in the 1970s, he said.