John Lee names Kelvin Kong police security chief
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday appointed Kelvin Kong Hok-lai as deputy police commissioner (national security), making him head of the Hong Kong Police Force’s department for safeguarding national security. The appointment took effect immediately after Kong took his oath of office, as his predecessor Andrew Kan Kai-yan began pre-retirement leave on the same day.
Key Points
- Lee made the appointment under Article 16(2) of the National Security Law, which requires the police force to maintain a department with law enforcement capacity for safeguarding national security.
- Kong previously served as director of national security and has worked in the National Security Department since the law’s promulgation and implementation, after three decades in the police force.
- Lee said Kong had shown outstanding performance, strong commitment to service, exceptional leadership and a high awareness of national security, and described him as steadfast and courageous.
- Under the law, the chief executive appoints the department head after seeking the written opinion of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong
- No successor has been announced for Kong’s former post as director of national security; two assistant commissioners, Dick Wong Chung-chun and Kenneth Kwok Ka-chuen, currently report to that office
Why It Matters
The move confirms the leadership transition at one of Hong Kong police’s most politically sensitive units and takes effect immediately, leaving attention on who will fill Kong’s previous role. For Hong Kong readers, the appointment also underlines that the chief executive directly names the unit’s head through a process set out in the National Security Law.