Leung Chin-man Appointment Controversy - Approval and Conditions

Approval and Conditions

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Denise Yue Chung-yee, signed off on the approval for him to take up the job after it passed through the Advisory committee on post-service employment of civil servants, responsible for vetting the appointment.

The Transport and Housing Bureau, the Development Bureau and Administrative Officer Grade Management were asked for their views. On receiving these submissions, the CSB prepared a paper for the Advisory committee to facilitate their consideration.

The view taken by the CSB was that Leung would oversee only mainland business of his future employer, and that bearing in mind he had ceased to be Director of Buildings for six years, and had left the post of Permanent Secretary of Housing two years previously, his appointment was "unlikely to present problems of conflict of interest". In order to address any potential public perception issue, additional conditions were imposed in addition to the standard set of conditions. Accordingly, Leung's employment was to be confined to New World China Land, not represent his employer in dealings with the Government, would refrain from involvement in any Hong Kong related dealings of his direct employer, and not to disclose sensitive or classified information to his employer. On 4 July 2008, the committee submitted its recommendation to the SCS to approve Leung's appointment, and the SCS duly gave her approval on 8 July, on the terms stipulated.