Record Low Turnout for "Patriots-Only" District Council Election

Voter turnout at 27.5 percent, with a computer glitch near end

The day after the District Council elections, the government and the liaison office insisted the "patriots-only" election was "a success in improving governance structure", and that it was a "real, functioning democracy", even though there was a record low turnout.

Of the 4.33 million registered voters, only 1,193,193 or 27.5 percent came out. However, of those who voted, 22,045 residents cast blank votes which were invalid, representing 1.85 percent of the overall figure. This compares to 0.56 percent invalid votes four years ago, when 71. 2 percent of voters came out during the height of the 2019 protests.

Most of the voters this year were the elderly who were bussed in, as well as public servants who had to cast ballots.

Ip says "extending hours was completely useless"

Despite the low participating figures, Beijing claimed the election implemented the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong".

"The district councils have restored their proper nature and functions, freeing the election from politicisation, populism, and pragmatically focusing on solving real problems in the community," the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a statement.

"Residents can deeply feel that the elections are related to their interests and that this is real, functioning democracy."

How about a "functioning democracy" with Chinese characteristics? Pro-democracy candidates were barred from running, even centrist pro-establishment parties could not get enough nominations.

Nevertheless, some pro-Beijng lawmakers were not pleased with the turnout, like Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, founder and chairperson of the New People's Party.

There was a computer system glitch two hours before voting was supposed to finish, so in a bid to get more voters in, the time was extended by another 90 minutes past midnight.

Ip said afterwards "extending hours was completely useless", the extra one and a half did not yield a significant uptick in voters.

But Tam Yiu-chung, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau said the election turnout was in line with expectations.

He claimed residents cared more about the Legislative Council elections than District Council ones, and that people were out of town so they couldn't cast ballots.

However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hailed it as a "high-quality" election, but surely there are questions as to why so much money was spent on getting people to vote but the end result was so few.

Was the turnout really in line with expectations? The spinning will continue for days to come...

HK Reveals Homophobic Colours Ahead of Gay Games

The Gay Games have finally opened in Hong Kong

After being postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and difficulty in securing venues because of Hong Kong government bureaucracy, the Gay Games have finally kicked off, but still not without controversy.

In the days leading up to the Games opening on November 5, some pro-Beijing legislators who were anti-LGBTQ, called for the event to be cancelled on national security grounds, and that politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee should resign because she would officiate the opening.

Seven lawmakers against the Games

One of them, the bombastic Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, even sent a letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, saying the Gay Games promotes same-sex marriage in Hong Kong, and this must be stopped.

There was no response.

"We object to any Western ideology that sugar-coated its agenda in the name of diversity and inclusivity for a sports event, attempting to subvert national security," he said in a press conference with six other homophobic lawmakers.

Ho said the event was a "criminal activity" that spread the ideology of gay rights, subverting traditional Chinese family values.

Others like Equal Opportunities Commission Josiah Chok Kin-ming called for the authorities to investigate whether the Games' source of funding came from foreign organisations and amounted to collusion with external forces prohibited under the national security law.

Ip hit back, calling their claims "ridiculous" and confirmed she would officiate the opening.

Ip officiated the opening of the Games

"If there is firm evidence that the Gay Games are in breach of national security laws, the police would have taken action," said Ip, who was a former security chief. 

"I suspect the timing of the attacks are politically motivated, to smear my district council [election] candidates, one of whom has been harassed on-street because of my support for the Gay Games."

Not just one has been harassed, Paul Lui Yau-tak, but all 29 of the New People's Party candidates running in the upcoming District Council election on December 10.

Interestingly, while Ip supports the Gay Games, she does not support same-sex marriage in Hong Kong as a 2013 Final Appeal ruling says the definition of marriage under the Basic Law did not include same-sex unions. 

Meanwhile Games co-chair Lisa Lam said the event had never deviated from the principle of promoting diversity and unity, and demonstrated to the world that Hong Kong was an inclusive city open for business.

"Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions," she said. "They can say what they want."

Just a polite way of saying, can we just have our Games and be done with it already?

It's so complicated, but basically, what a mess. 

Ip Evades Stamp Duty Buying HK$51.8M Flat

Ip's holding company to buy flat is called Magic Fiddle

Executive Council Convenor and chairperson of the New People's Party Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has recently made a purchase.

It's not a Burberry handbag, but it's blooming big -- a flat called Bowen Place on Bowen Road for a whopping HK$51.8 million (US$6.62 million).

But what's interesting is the way Ip went about buying the place by avoiding paying the 15 percent stamp duty which would have been around HK$7.66 million

Bowen Place on Bowen Road in Mid-Levels

She set up a company called Magic Fiddle Limited to buy out Allway Holdings Limited, which owned the flat in Mid-Levels.

Instead Ip only paid 0.2 percent in taxes, or HK$103,600.

Ip explained the flat was for her daughter, and that she had wanted to purchase it as a first-time homeowner, but that the seller wanted to do the transaction through a company transfer, or buying out the shares.

The owner of Allway Holdings was Michelle Cheng, who is the owner and CEO of Occasions Asia Pacific, a public relations company. Ip added while Occasions had helped her with organising an event before, she claimed she did not know Cheng personally.

In 2018 local policy think tank Liber Research Community found the Hong Kong government had lost at least HK$9.4 billion since 2010 because buyers evaded paying stamp duties by buying real estate through share transfers.

Ip with daughter Cynthia in 2008

According to the study of the 126 transactions, 90 cases involved foreign buyers, with some being high-level executives of mainland property companies, ex-members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and local celebrities.

One would have thought after a study like that the government would want to close that loophole in a bid to build up its coffers, but it still hasn't done so five years on.

After Ip's purchase was reported in HK01, she defended it, saying the transaction was above board, and that she did nothing wrong.

"A lot of the comments are unfair and really quite ignorant... I think it is quite unfair to suggest that [property] purchased through a company is tax evasion... It is the buyer's choice, in a way which is the most convenient," she said.

Being rich has its benefits, including being even richer.

Elmer Yuen's Relative Taken into Questioning

Yuen holding his Hong Kong passport in a recent photo

Days after former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung's parents and brother were questioned by police and then released, another person from the group of eight with bounties on their head has had a family member taken in for interrogation as well.

The police took away trade unionist Mung Siu-tat's brother and took him, his wife and son for questioning, as well as relatives of Dennis Kwok Wing-hang. They were later released without charge.

Yuen's son Derek is married to Eunice Yung

Now a third family has now been affected -- Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi)'s eldest daughter, Mimi Mi Wahng Yuen was "taken away" by Hong Kong national security police after she arrived in the city from Los Angeles on Monday. 

Over a week ago Yuen, 74, was in Vancouver urging Hongkongers in Canada to take part in a virtual Hong Kong parliament with elections for representatives later this year or in early 2024. For this he has been charged with with subversion of state power and foreign collusion

Yuen, who lives in the United States, had previously urged foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong officials and members of the judiciary on various online platforms between July 2020 and May 2023.

He has three children. His son Derek is a former advisor for the pro-establishment New People's Party and an academic studying international policy. Derek Yuen told Sing Tao Daily that he had "a brief meeting" with his father and has avoided any financial exchanges.

Yung's notice of severing ties with Elmer Yuen

Derek is married to Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and member of the New People's Party. In August 2022, she publicly severed her relationship with her father-in-law Elmer. And since the arrest warrants were announced for the eight people including Yuen, Yung has called for him to return to Hong Kong and surrender.

Now with this latest development, will Elmer Yuen continue to be as gutsy and continuing his campaign in North America? 

Those family members who continue to have some kind of links with the eight with bounties on their heads will put the former in a perilous situation... relations by blood are thicker than water, but in the case of the national security police, do people cave in?

Yuen Promotes Virtual HK Parliament in Vancouver

Yuen showing his Hong Kong passport in this handout photo

Despite having a HK$1 million bounty on his head, Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi) is unfazed and traveling to Vancouver proposing a virtual Hong Kong parliament with representatives in the diaspora.

"I don't feel threatened," the venture capitalist said in an interview with a Canadian news outlet. "[Chinese President Xi Jinping] is more scared than I am."

He has even distributed photographs of himself holding his Hong Kong passport, though Yuen probably holds another passport.

Ho (left) and Yuen promoting HK Parliament

Yuen was spurred by the arrest warrants for him and seven others, to fly to Vancouver from the United States to promote his virtual Hong Kong parliament to Hongkongers here and try to get the federal government to endorse it.

"My whole idea of this traveling is to get everyone to vote in order to run for the members of parliament. So that's what I'm doing. I'm not scared," he said.

"Because of this warrant for my arrest is everywhere, at least 1 million people got news of what's happening about the Hong Kong parliament."

This is not a new idea -- he proposed it last July together with Vancouver journalist Victor Ho Leung-mau, who was accused by the Hong Kong government of subverting the national security law.

They are hoping to jump-start the election later this year or next year, with the aim of having the parliament reflect the democratic power of Hongkongers that had been promised to them before 1997.

"I want the Canadian government to recognise the Hong Kong parliament. That's the most important (thing). I am no a mission and my mission is to fight the Communist party and you cannot fight as an individual," said Yuen.

Yuen's son Derek is married to Eunice Yung

"You must have the organisation and the organisation is [the] Hong Kong parliament."

Yuen also plans to travel to Taiwan, Australia and the UK to promote this parliament-in-exile plan.

"If they want to fight for the freedom of Hong Kong, the best thing is to vote. You don't have a gun, you don't have anything. So, your weapon for democracy and freedom is your vote," he said.

However, Hong Kong police have accused Yuen of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.

His daughter-in-law, New People's Party lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan is urging Yuen to surrender himself, even though she claims to have cut ties with him last August.

In the meantime will Yuen be able to realise his plan for a parliament-in-exile? 

Some may just be too busy keeping their head above water to contemplate this plan... 

Lam's New Bling Digs

Lam's office will be at Pacific Place One in Admiralty

There was a lot of excitement and confusion when former TVB anchor Chris Wong posted on social media that former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was spotted in Heathrow Airport in London, appearing to be transferring to go somewhere else.

Ex-TVB anchor misreported Lam being in the UK

But it turned out to be a lot of baloney when she was photographed at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai the day before the Hong Kong Book Fair opened.

She was there having breakfast alone before attending a seminar held by a pro-Beijing think tank.

There was a flurry of comments wondering why Lam would be in the UK when she has been sanctioned there.

Nevertheless, there is definitely brouhaha over the news that she has an office -- she has retired, why does she need an office? -- in Pacific Place -- and that it will cost a whopping HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) over three years.

She is still in HK, spotted here at HKCEC

And yes, taxpayers must foot the bill.

The 2,874 sq ft space above the shopping mall in Admiralty will cost HK$377,000 per month in rent for a three-year contract.

The space is being renovated at the tune of HK$8.7 million.

Since the time of Tung Chee-hwa as the first chief executive, each successive leader has had an office set up for them by the government so that they can perform such activities as "receiving visiting dignitaries and delegations, giving local and overseas media interviews, and taking part in speaking engagements."

The offices of previous leaders have been situated in a historic building in Mid-Levels, and so Lam's office will be the first one located on commercial property.

It doesn't seem like there was any discussion about how much rent taxpayers should be shelling out for an office for arguably the most hated chief executive (so far). Nor does there seem to be any discussion of a tender...

And as a former chief executive her perks include having a chauffeur, a senior personal assistant and an assistant clerical officer.

Lam's office is the first on commercial property

It seem the cost of her office is way more than the previous three chief executives combined at only HK$11.4 million for 2020-21.

Dominic Lee Tsz-king of the New People's Party seems to be the only one grumbling about Lam's office, describing it as "too expensive and unnecessary."

"I don't understand why a separate office needs to be rented in such a premium location... so much taxpayers' money will be spent," he said.

Indeed, many are wondering the same thing.