Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen GBM GBS MBE JP (Chinese: 梁君彥; born 24 February 1951[1]) is a Hong Kong politician who is the current President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco), representing the Industrial (First) functional constituency. From October 2012 to October 2016, he was the chairman of Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA), the second largest party in the legislature.
Andrew Leung | |
|---|---|
梁君彥 | |
 Leung in 2023 | |
| 3rd President of the Legislative Council | |
| Assumed office 12 October 2016 | |
| Deputy | Starry Lee |
| Preceded by | Jasper Tsang |
| Chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong | |
| In office 7 October 2012 – 13 October 2016 | |
| Preceded by | New party |
| Succeeded by | Lo Wai-kwok |
| Member of the Legislative Council | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Ting |
| Constituency | Industrial (First) |
| Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries | |
| In office 2003–2004 | |
| Preceded by | Victor Lo |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Ting |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 February 1951 Hong Kong |
| Nationality | British (until 2016) Hong Kong Chinese (since 2016) |
| Political party | Liberal Party (until 2008) Economic Synergy (since 2009) Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (since 2012) |
| Spouse | Susana Cheong Suk-hing |
| Children | Clarence Leung Wang-ching |
| Education | St. Francis Xavier's School |
| Alma mater | University of Leeds (BS) |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Andrew Leung | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 梁君彥 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 梁君彦 | ||||||||||||
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Early life and education
editLeung was born on 24 February 1951 to a family who run a textile factory, the Sun Hing knitting company. He was educated in the University of Leeds and joined his father's family business. In 1970, he set up the Sun Hing Knitting Factory in Kwai Chung and became the chairman of the company.[2]
Public service career
editLeung joined the Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers' Association, the chamber of commerce of the manufacturing companies, in which he later became the honorary president in 1997. He has been the chairman and Honorary Chairman of the Textile Council of Hong Kong and the member, Deputy chairman and Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries. He stepped down in 2004 after he was elected to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and became the Honorary chairman.
He has been the committee member of both Textile and Clothing Industry Training Board in the 1980s, and became a member of Vocational Training Council (VTC) board of directors in 1998, he was then appointed as the chairman of VTC from 2006 to 2012.[3] He has also held many positions including Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (2003–2009), council member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (2010–2016), a member of the Economic Development Commission (2013–2017), the Deputy Chairman of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee (2012–2016), a non-executive director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (2009–2015) and a Director of The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited.[4]
He was awarded Justice of the Peace in 1996 and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to the textile industry in 1997.[5]
Legislative Councillor
editIn the 2004 Legislative Council election, he replaced Kenneth Ting Woo-shou to be elected uncontestedly to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong through the Industrial (First) functional constituency which was elected by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, representing the Liberal Party.
Leung split apart from the Liberal Party in October 2008 with Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung and Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun after the defeat of the party in the 2008 Legislative Council election in September and the resignation of chairman James Tien Pei-chun. In June 2009, the three legislators formed the Economic Synergy which later co-founded the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) in 2012 which Leung became the founding Chairman of the new party.
Leung was also the committee member of 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He received the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) and the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) in 2004 and 2010 respectively.[3]
On the debate over the 2014–15 Hong Kong electoral reform for the universal suffrage of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Leung opposed to the Occupy Central with Love and Peace campaign by the pan-democracy camp, appealed to the "silent majority" to oppose "Occupy protest". Leung said the campaign would threaten the rule of law and social stability, while hurting Hong Kong's business environment.[6]
President of the Legislative Council
editAfter the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Election, Leung was handpicked by the pro-Beijing camp to be their candidate for the President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong left over by the retiring Jasper Tsang, after potential candidates New People's Party's Michael Tien and nonpartisan Paul Tse withdrew their nominations, implicitly citing the influence of the Liaison Office. Leung was questioned by the opposition over his British nationality which he renounced right before the vote and his close business ties with 11 companies in which he held shares and was the directors of seven of them. On the first meeting of the Legislative Council, Leung was elected as president in the middle of chaos as the pan-democrats and localists tore up their ballot papers and stormed out of the meeting room before the vote. As a result, Leung received 38 votes against pro-democrat nominee James To's zero with three blank ballots.[7]
On 27 October, Leung was slammed and asked to step down after he took a U-turn by deciding to delay the oath-taking of Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching of Youngspiration whose qualifications were under legal challenge by the government for their pro-independence on general meeting on 27 October 2016. Leung and Yau inserted their own words into the oath-taking on the first session of the Legislative Council and therefore were invalidated by the LegCo secretary-general Kenneth Chen. Andrew Leung initially allowed the two to retake the oaths but backed down after the pro-Beijing camp threatened to stage a second walkout after they walked out in the on 19 October to block the two Youngspiration legislators to take the oaths. The pan-democracy camp criticised Leung for "unfit to perform his role".[8]
In November 2020, following the expulsion of 4 pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council, Leung said that he "respects and understands" their disqualification.[9]
In February 2021, after Xia Baolong said that only "patriots" could be part of the Hong Kong government, Leung agreed and said it was the "most basic and reasonable" requirement for those in the government.[10] Additionally, Leung claimed that "I am sure that all the Hong Kong people will have a say... As long as you are patriotic, you can have any views."[10]
In January 2022, the mainland Chinese national emblem was permanently added to the Legislative Council chamber, after Andrew Leung, Starry Lee Wai-king and Ma Fung-kwok decided that it should be made permanent.[11] Andrew Leung had earlier said it would be only temporary for the swearing in of lawmakers, but reversed course.[11]
In December 2022, after only "patriots" were allowed to administer Hong Kong, Leung denied that lawmakers were simply rubber stamping legislation, stating "We need to work together to make sure the legislative process is smooth. Smooth doesn't mean rubber stamp."[12]
In January 2023, Leung criticized a decision by the UK to not allow Legislative Council members to attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK’s seminar, saying that the event had "blatant political bias."[13]
Personal life
editHis wife, Susana Cheong Suk-hing, is the sister of former member of the Legislative Council Stephen Cheong.
In August 2022, Leung and his son, Clarence Leung Wang-ching, the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, were deemed close contacts after a family member tested positive for COVID-19.[14] However on December, Leung was tested positive for COVID-19.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Report of the Legislative Council 2005-2006 Session" (PDF). Legislative Council of the Hong Kong. p. 120. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ^ "從商再從政 梁君彥要務實做事". Apple Daily. 22 September 2004.
- ^ a b "Speaker Bio – Member, Hong Kong Legislative Council Industrial (First) Functional Constituency Mr. Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen". Youth Forum (Hong Kong).
- ^ "Member, Chairperson of Staff Committee – The Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, GBS, JP". Competition Commission. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015.
- ^ Apparel International: The Journal of the Clothing and Footwear Institute, Volume 28. The Institute. 1997.
- ^ Chan, Kahon (14 August 2014). "More businesses unite to oppose 'Occupy Central'". China Daily.
- ^ "Andrew Leung becomes president of Hong Kong Legco after dispute over British nationality". South China Morning Post. 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Localists' oaths on hold pending Hong Kong court ruling on judicial review, Legco president says". South China Morning Post. 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Pro-govt camp could be new opposition: Andrew Leung - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Legco looking forward to 'whatever Beijing decides' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b Standard, The. "Legco chamber gets 'solemn' makeover". The Standard. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "'Lawmakers in same team as officials they monitor' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "Legco's Leung slams UK parliamentary group for uninviting Hong Kong lawmakers". South China Morning Post. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Standard, The. "Legco president Andrew Leung and son to undergo quarantine after family tested positive". The Standard. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "LegCo president Andrew Leung tests positive for Covid". The Standard. Retrieved 23 December 2022.