Tung Chee-hwa’s former colleagues on Wednesday praised his diligence, discipline and perseverance, sharing anecdotes as they paid tribute to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s first chief executive, who passed away peacefully late Tuesday at the age of 89.
Executive Council convener Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who served as director of immigration from 1997 to 1998, and as secretary for security from 1998 to 2003 in Tung’s administration, described him as a “caring and farsighted leader”.
She said Tung had tried hard to resolve Hong Kong’s housing shortage, promoted technological development, and expanded the city’s international network. Tung was also the HKSAR’s first chief executive to try enacting Article 23 of the Basic Law to safeguard national security.
“I was privileged to have worked under Tung for seven years,” Ip said.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Lee: Tung dedicated his life to serving the nation, HKSAR
- Tributes pour in as HK mourns passing of Tung Chee-hwa
- LegCo: Tung Chee-hwa led smooth establishment of HKSAR
- Tung Chee-hwa honored for advancing US-China cultural ties
'Diligent, forward-thinking leader'
Former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who succeeded Tung, described his predecessor as empathetic, diligent and forward-thinking.
“I met Mr Tung in the 1990s in the Executive Council. Through our interactions, I deeply felt his approachability, gentleness, and his broad vision and far-sightedness,” Tsang said.
He highlighted Tung’s selfless work ethic, saying he worked all year round without rest. “Facing adversity, he never gave up. With extraordinary perseverance, he overcame difficulties and ultimately led the government back on track.”
Tung served as Hong Kong’s first chief executive from 1997 to 2005. His tenure was marked by multiple crises. During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, he led the government’s unprecedented intervention in the stock and futures markets to defend the Hong Kong dollar’s peg to the US dollar. After the SARS epidemic struck Hong Kong, Tung oversaw quarantine measures that ultimately brought the outbreak under control.
‘Almost harsh demands on himself’
Former Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, who remembered Tung as a mentor, said Tung was an extremely diligent person, “with almost harsh demands on himself.”
“He would get up at 5 in the morning to read documents and call at seven to discuss government affairs,” Leung said in a statement.
“He was meticulous in everything, leaving no detail unattended. In him, I saw the weight of the word ‘responsibility’.”
But Tung was never a harsh boss. Always treating colleagues with warmth and kindness, Tung had a favorite quote: “The way of governance is to win people with virtue”, said Leung.
He never spared praise or reprimanded anyone in public. “Everyone who worked by his side respected and admired him,” reads the statement.
