Tommy Cheung

Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, GBS, JP (Chinese: 張宇人, born 30 September 1949 in Hong Kong) is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo), representing the Catering functional constituencies seats. He is a non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and the current chairman of the Liberal Party.


Tommy Cheung Yu-yan

張宇人
Chairman of the Liberal Party
Assumed office
7 October 2016
LeaderFelix Chung
Preceded byFelix Chung
Non-official Member of the Executive Council
Assumed office
25 November 2016
Appointed byLeung Chun-ying
Carrie Lam
Member of the Legislative Council
Assumed office
1 October 2000
Preceded byNew constituency
ConstituencyCatering
Personal details
Born (1949-09-30) 30 September 1949
British Hong Kong
Political partyLiberal Party
Alma materDiocesan Boys' School
Pepperdine University (BSc, M.B.A.)
OccupationBusinessman
politician
Tommy Cheung
Traditional Chinese張宇人

Career

He graduated from the Diocesan Boys' School and Pepperdine University.[1] He was previously a member of the Eastern District Council. He is a businessman, chairman of a trading and investment company,[2] and a member of the Diocesan Boys' School school committee.[3]

Legislative Councillor

In late 2005, when there were strong concerns regarding a potential "bird flu" pandemic, Cheung became "an outspoken opponent of migratory birds". He stated that migrating birds were the source of the pandemic threat.[4]

On 20 March 2010, after Cheung suggested a minimum wage of HK$20/hour, he became the subject of insults and derision from some quarters, nicknamed "$20 Cheung".[5]

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Cheung spoke out against the government's extension of mandatory social distancing measures. He complained that his constituents were suffering due to mandatory closures of some types of businesses, such as bars and karaoke centres, and accused the government of "not understanding economics".[6]

In January 2021, Cheung partially blamed teachers for the 2019-20 Hong Kong protests and that CCTV cameras should be installed in classrooms to monitor teachers for "subversive remarks."[7]

Chairman of the Liberal Party

Cheung was elected Liberal Party's new chairman after the 2016 Legislative Council election in October. The new leadership was seen as more moderate and conservative with less vocal anti-Leung Chun-ying (pro-government, but anti-Leung) stance.[8] Cheung was subsequently appointed by Leung to the Executive Council.[9] Cheung is reappointed by Carrie Lam to the Executive Council on 1 July 2017.

Cheung voted against paternity leave when it was introduced to the Employment Ordinance in 2015. In 2018, he opposed the Hong Kong government proposal to increase statutory paternity leave from three days to five, claiming the benefit itself should not even exist, as demands for more would be "never-ending". Cheung said that "back in the 1980s" there was no legally mandated paternal leave, but many companies would still grant "white days" for funerals and "red days" for auspicious events such as births and marriages without the need for "inflexible" labour laws requiring them to do so. Cheung's remarks attracted a lot of criticism, including Ng Chau-pei of the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions described Cheung as taking part in a "barbaric form of capitalism".[10] Another Executive Councillor, New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip agreed members should avoid publicly criticising the government.[11]

References

  1. Profile of Tommy Cheung Archived 5 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, SBS, JP Archived 26 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. An official list of DBS school committee members
  4. Hong Kong Standard. ""Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)." Wetland migratory birds not to blame, say experts. Retrieved on 21 June 2012.
  5. South China Morning Post. "SCMP." Young critics heckle Liberal lawmaker. Retrieved on 5 April 2010.
  6. "Lawmaker blasts govt for extending Covid-19 curbs". RTHK. 21 April 2020.
  7. "Hong Kong lawmakers push for surveillance cameras in classrooms". South China Morning Post. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  8. "是否繼續「ABC」反梁 自由黨鬧分歧". HK01. 7 October 2016.
  9. "Hong Kong leader appoints two new cabinet members just four months from leadership race". South China Morning Post. 25 November 2016.
  10. "Mandatory paternity leave for Hongkongers a mistake as city has dire shortage of workers, pro-establishment lawmaker says". South China Morning Post. 9 August 2018.
  11. "Hong Kong lawmaker who called mandatory paternity leave a mistake criticised by colleagues for attacking government plan". South China Morning Post. 11 August 2018.
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Preceded by
Ambrose Cheung
as Representative for Urban Council
Member of Legislative Council
Representative for Catering
2000–present
Incumbent
Preceded by
Emily Lau
Chairman of Finance Committee
2012–2013
Succeeded by
Ng Leung-sing
Preceded by
Ng Leung-sing
Chairman of Finance Committee
2014–2015
Succeeded by
Chan Kin-por
Party political offices
Preceded by
Selina Chow
Vice-Chairperson of the Liberal Party
2008–2010
Served alongside: Vincent Fang
Succeeded by
Selina Chow
Preceded by
Felix Chung
Chairman of the Liberal Party
2016–present
Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Ip Kwok-him
Member of the Executive Council
Hong Kong order of precedence
Member of the Executive Council
Succeeded by
Martin Liao
Member of the Executive Council
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