Army cadets get HK$30 million from the HK government: fair or favouritism?

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The government also gave the Hong Kong Army Cadets the right to use an old school as its base

By staff writer |
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Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah says that it was a fair decision, and that the money was approved in a proper way.

Trouble is brewing because a uniformed group has been allowed to turn an old school building in Kowloon Bay into their headquarters in June. Some people believe the move was not very fair.

Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah, who used to be a pro-Beijing lawmaker, said this was not true. The public learned on Monday that the Hong Kong Army Cadets ­Association would be the group to move into the school.

About a week after the approval, the association, which was founded last year, was given HK$30 million by the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries. Lau ran the board at the time.

Democratic lawmakers say the approval for the funds was very quick.

Some older uniformed groups have asked whether the Army Cadets Association was favoured because of connections that go beyond even Lau. Its commander-in-chief is the wife of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying (CY Leung). Regina Leung Tong Ching-yee is also one of the group’s supporters, as is People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong garrison head Major General Tan Benhong and central government liaison office director Zhang Xiaoming.

Lau said that as the home affairs minister he was a member of dozens of organisations. He claimed that the process had been absolutely fair. He said all uniformed groups had been told that the school was available, and only three had applied to use it. He said the Army Cadets were the best qualified of those three. He also said the money had also been approved in the correct way.

Lau added that the government thought all uniformed groups were important and did not favour any of them.

Edited by Susan Ramsay

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