Tung remembered as consultative leader as funeral plans emerge
Bastillepost · 6 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago3 MIN
Summary
Former senior officials who worked with Tung Chee-hwa have described him as a leader who preferred consultation over force, listened to different views and remained firm once he had thought a decision through. Elsie Leung said he faced severe political and constitutional strains in the early years after the 1997 handover, while Rita Fan said he was approachable, hardworking and did not hold grudges even toward people with different political views. Additional accounts from Tam Yiu-chung and other political figures have widened the picture of Tung’s legacy to include his support for education, innovation and technology, Chinese medicine and national development. Separately, Sing Tao reported that a state-level funeral is tentatively planned in Hong Kong on September 20, with related logistical preparations already under way, though the arrangement was described as based on sources familiar with the matter.
Key Points
- Elsie Leung, Tung’s former secretary for justice, said Hong Kong’s early post-handover years were marked by weak confidence in “one country, two systems”, unclear national identity and what she called unfair outside criticism of the SAR government.
- Leung said Tung did not govern by imposing decisions bluntly, and argued a leader should be “selfless, honest, without resentment and without regret”, while pressing ahead with policies only after careful thought.
- She also said the Tung administration was highly transparent, adding that even before major and sensitive matters such as interpretations by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the opposition would be consulted one to two weeks in advance.
- Rita Fan, who headed the office of the chief executive-designate before the handover, said Tung had no class barriers, inspired colleagues to work day and night, and protected education spending even when the government was cutting expenditure.
- Tam Yiu-chung said Tung had deep patriotic commitment and broad vision, promoted the Lifeline Express cataract project that has benefited 250,000 people, and had early insight into Cyberport, Chinese medicine and innovation development; Sing Tao also reported plans for a September 20 state-level funeral and an earlier release of a commemorative book.
Why It Matters
The new recollections and reported funeral arrangements are shaping how Hong Kong reassesses Tung’s place in the city’s post-1997 political history, especially his governing style during a period of constitutional friction and public distrust. They also revive debate over whether some of his long-term priorities, including education and innovation, were ahead of their time and constrained by the political and bureaucratic environment he faced.