Michael Suen Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Michael Suen
Native Name Lang:zh-hk
Order:Chief Secretary for Administration
Acting
Term Start:28 September 2011
Term End:30 September 2011
1Blankname:Chief Executive
1Namedata:Sir Donald Tsang
Predecessor:Henry Tang
Successor:Stephen Lam
Term Start1:25 May 2005
Term End1:30 May 2005
1Blankname1:Chief Executive
1Namedata1:Henry Tang (Acting)
Sir Donald Tsang
Predecessor1:Sir Donald Tsang
Successor1:Rafael Hui
Order2:Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
Term Start2:4 August 1997
Term End2:30 June 2002
1Blankname2:Chief Executive
1Namedata2:Tung Chee-hwa
Predecessor2:Nicholas Ng
Successor2:Stephen Lam
Term Start3:1 March 1989
Term End3:2 October 1991
Predecessor3:John Chan
Successor3:Michael Sze
Governor3:David Wilson
Order4:Secretary for Home Affairs
Term Start4:7 November 1991
Term End4:3 August 1997
Governor4:David Wilson
Chris Patten
Order5:Secretary for Education
Term Start5:1 July 2007
Term End5:30 June 2012
1Blankname5:Chief Executive
1Namedata5:Sir Donald Tsang
Predecessor5:Arthur Li (as Secretary for Education and Manpower)
Successor5:Eddie Ng
Order6:Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
Term Start6:1 July 2002
Term End6:30 June 2007
1Blankname6:Chief Executive
1Namedata6:Tung Chee-hwa
Sir Donald Tsang
Birth Date:7 April 1944
Birth Place:Chongqing, China
T:孫明揚
S:孙明扬
J:Syun1 Ming4 joeng4
Y:Syūn Mìhng yèuhng
P:Sūn Míngyáng

Michael Suen Ming-yeung (born 7 April 1944) who served as the acting Chief Secretary for Administration in 2005 and 2012 and as Secretary for Education of Hong Kong from 2007 to 2012.

Born in Chongqing in 1944, his family fled the then provisional capital of Republic of China to Hong Kong in 1947.

Education

Suen attended Wah Yan College, a Jesuit school in Hong Kong.[1]

Career

He joined the British Hong Kong Government in 1966 as an Administrative Officer and was promoted to the rank of Director of Bureau in January 1991.[2]

During the early years of his career, he served in the former New Territories Administration, Resettlement Department and Environment Branch. He was appointed Secretary for Constitutional Affairs in March 1989 and Secretary for Home Affairs in November 1991. He continued his post as Secretary for Home Affairs on 8 July 1997 and took up the appointment as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs on 4 August 1997. Suen took up the post of Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands on 1 July 2002.

Upon the resignation of Donald Tsang on 25 May 2005, he assumed the post as the acting Chief Secretary for Administration, until Rafael Hui was appointed. In July 2007, he took over the position of Secretary for Education after Arthur Li retired.[3]

Around 2007 he was known for pushing trilingual education with English, Cantonese and Putonghua to boost Hong Kong's competitiveness.[4]

Health

On 27 April 2011, Suen announced that he was suffering from renal failure.[5] Suen was also diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease on 21 December 2011. The new HK government headquarters found as many as 19 areas contaminated with legionella bacteria out of 43 water samples. Suen announced his recovery in January 2012.

Controversy

2007 protest at home

For years as a housing chief, Suen denied to meet with housing rights activists until 2007, when some 30 activists, including Longhair Leung Kwok-hung finally camped out at Suen's house in Happy Valley to protest. Public housing citizens were suffering from excessive rent increase, and the activists tried to voice the concern. The protest turned violent outside his home, with five policemen and one protester injured. Leung was also arrested.[6]

Illegal extension case

In 1994 Suen purchased a new home, the low-rise Shuk Yuen building in Green Lane Happy Valley. He then illegally extended the size of his home to make it bigger. As the former Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, his staff reportedly warned him against the illegal extension,[7] [8] sending him a letter in April 2006 to remove the extension, which he reportedly ignored. In 2011, he agreed to reduce the size of the structure. Both the democratic and pro-Beijing camps criticised him.[9]

See also

References

HKEX:

Notes and References

  1. News: 27 January 2011 . zh:華仁仔再出擊 師兄拔刀相助 . zh . http://paper.wenweipo.com/2011/01/27/HK1101270023.htm . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629014429/http://paper.wenweipo.com/2011/01/27/HK1101270023.htm . 29 June 2011 . zh:文匯報.
  2. Web site: Mr Michael Suen Ming-yeung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Education . https://web.archive.org/web/20110519194946/http://www.gov.hk/en/about/govdirectory/po/sed.htm . 19 May 2011 . 28 May 2011 . GovHK . en.
  3. News: Chong . Winnie . 13 July 2007 . Grants Chief Opposes Creation of Body to Settle Disputes . en . . dead . 23 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165944/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=48926&sid=14464900&con_type=1 . 29 June 2011 . dmy-all.
  4. News: Patel . Nishika . 13 November 2007 . Language Plan Gets Mixed Reviews . en . The Standard . dead . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015195647/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=56794&sid=16258931&con_type=1&d_str=20071113&sear_year=2007 . 15 October 2012 . dmy-all.
  5. Web site: 27 April 2011 . zh:教育局局長與傳媒談話全文(只有中文) . http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201104/27/P201104270122.htm . https://web.archive.org/web/20110430160605/http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201104/27/P201104270122.htm . 30 April 2011 . 27 April 2011 . info.gov.hk . zh . Transcript of Secretary for Education.
  6. News: Chong . Winnie . 6 June 2007 . 'Long Hair' Among Suen Home Protesters Held . en . The Standard . dead . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015195655/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=46132&sid=13933998&con_type=1&d_str=20070606&sear_year=2007 . 15 October 2012 . dmy-all.
  7. News: Lee . Diana . 25 May 2011 . OK, I'll Pull Them Down Now . en . The Standard . dead . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015195707/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=111400&sid=32493578&con_type=1&d_str=20110525&fc=2 . 15 October 2012 . dmy-all.
  8. News: 2011-05-25 . zh:承辦商準備拆卸孫明揚寓所僭建物 . zh . rthk.org.hk . http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20110525/news_20110525_55_757685.htm . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121002035321/http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20110525/news_20110525_55_757685.htm . 2 October 2012.
  9. News: Ho . Serinah . 26 May 2011 . Suen Tries to Mend Fences . en . The Standard . dead . 28 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015195759/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=111445&sid=32503572&con_type=3&d_str=20110526&sear_year=2011 . 15 October 2012 . dmy-all.