Leung Yiu-chung

Leung Yiu-chung (Chinese: 梁耀忠, born 19 May 1953) is a Hong Kong politician. He is a member of the pro-labour Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre, which is a part of the pan-democracy camp. He has had a long-standing tenure as a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[1] Between 1998 and 2016, he represented the New Territories West geographical constituency, and from 2016 to 2020, he represented the District Council (Second) functional constituency. Leung has also served as a member of the Kwai Tsing District Council since 1985.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Leung (梁).
Leung Yiu-chung
梁耀忠
Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1 October 2016 – 1 December 2020
Preceded byFrederick Fung
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyDistrict Council (Second)
In office
2 July 1998 – 30 September 2016
Preceded byNew parliament
Succeeded byAndrew Wan
ConstituencyNew Territories West
In office
11 October 1995 – 27 June 1997
Preceded byNew constituency
Succeeded bySophie Leung
ConstituencyTextiles and Garment
Personal details
Born (1953-05-19) 19 May 1953
Hong Kong
NationalityChinese (Hong Kong) (1997–)
Political partyNeighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre
Other political
affiliations		Revolutionary Marxist League
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China
SpouseLai Siu-chun
ResidenceHong Kong
Alma materUniversity of Essex (BA)
University of Hong Kong (PGED)
ProfessionTeacher
Legislative Councillor
Signature
Leung Yiu-chung
Chinese梁耀忠

Early career

Leung received his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from the University of Essex and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Hong Kong.[1] After returning from the United Kingdom in 1978, Leung joined the New Youth Study Society, a labour school founded by activist Lau Shan-ching in Tsuen Wan, as a lecturer.[2][3]

In the early 1980s, Leung led an investigation on 26 blocks of public housing that were discovered to be structurally dangerous, with Kwai Fong Estate in Kwai Chung most severely affected. His investigation compelled the Housing Authority to agree to dismantle and reconstruct the poorly constructed buildings. Leung also provided assistance to the residents throughout the reconstruction process.[4]

Political career

Political membership

Leung's political party is represented by Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre (NWSC) since 1985. Leung transformed the New Youth Study Society into the Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre after his first District Council win, as the public schools established by the government gradually replaced the labour schools.[4]

In 2010, Leung was invited to participate in the establishment of a pro-labour party, along with ex-Civic legislator Fernando Cheung, Confederation of Trade Unions' Lee Cheuk-yan and Civic Act-up's Cyd Ho.[5] The NWSC rejected the proposed membership in the newly founded Labour Party, and it also rejected Leung to join the party as an individual.[6]

District Council

In 1985, Leung contested in the District Board election, representing the Kwai Chung Central constituency in the newly established Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi District Board, and he was elected. He continued to hold the Kwai Chung Central seat until 1994, when the constituency was split into multiple constituencies, including Kwai Fong where Leung had since held the seat.[7] He was known as one of the "Kwai Tsing septet", along with Lee Wing-tat, Sin Chung-kai and four others.[8]

On 25 November 2019, Leung won his seat in the district council election with 59.1% of the vote, marking his sixth consecutive election win within this constituency.[9]

Legislative Council

Leung had a long 25-year tenure in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, having served as a legislator since 1995, except briefly between 1997 and 1998. His first legislative council bid was in the 1991 legislative election for the New Territories South constituency, where Leung was not elected. In 1995, he was elected to the Legislative Council representing the new Textiles and Garment constituency created by the 1994 electoral reform.[10]

During a 1996 Legislative Council meeting, he criticised the process of the election of the post-1997 chief executive by the communist-handpicked Selection Committee as "foul grass grows out of a foul ditch", which was deemed insulting to some of the legislators who were concurrently members of the Selection Committee. As a result, he was asked to withdraw from the chamber by the president of the Legislative Council Andrew Wong pursuant to Standing Order 34(2), becoming the first Hong Kong legislator to be expelled from a legislative sitting.[11]

Leung left the legislature in June 1997, when the council was abolished and replaced by the Provisional Legislative Council. He returned to the Legislative Council at the 1998 legislative election to represent New Territories West. Leung held the seat in this constituency for subsequent elections until he won a seat for the District Council (Second) functional constituency in 2016.[12]

On 12 October 2016, Leung was granted the authority to chair a Legislative Council meeting for the election of the new president, due to having the second highest seniority after presidential candidate James To. As the meeting progressed, Leung gave up his role, which was passed down to Abraham Shek. His decision to quit was met with controversy, as critics derided him for passing the position of power to the pro-establishment camp.[13][14] The meeting concluded with pro-establishment candidate Andrew Leung elected as President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in a 38–0 vote.[15]

On 19 June 2020, Leung announced his plans to contest the 2020 Hong Kong legislative election as the second candidate behind NWSC chairman Lo Ngai-yin. He stated that the party planned to run in the general election regardless of the outcome in the pro-democracy primaries.[16] On 28 June, Leung declared that he and the NWSC would no longer be in contention, following criticism to his earlier statement.[17]

Political activities

In the 1990s, Leung advocated for a group of young offenders who were held in indefinite imprisonment. He sought for definite sentencing terms, citing their young ages and the prospect of rehabilitation.[18][19] Among the 60 politicians who were contacted for help, Leung was the only one who had followed up with assistance.[3] A fictional retelling of his contributions was depicted in a Hong Kong movie, titled From the Queen to the Chief Executive, released in 2001.[20][21]

In 2010, Leung published a memoir that documented the experiences in his political career.[22] In the memoir, solicitor and former actress Mary Jean Reimer described Leung's advocacy towards the disadvantaged and socially vulnerable groups.[4]

On 18 April 2020, Leung was one of the 15 high-profile pro-democracy figures arrested in Hong Kong.[23] Leung's arrest was made on the claim that he participated in an unauthorized assembly on 18 August 2019 amid the anti-extradition bill protests.[24][25]

In December 2021, Leung was sentenced, together with seven fellow activists, for illegal assembly over his participation in the 2020 Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong, and for having "incited" the public to join them. Leung received a sentence of nine months.[26] His release, initially scheduled for 13 June 2022, was delayed due to a jail sentence of two weeks imposed that month for "assaulting, obstructing or molesting" a pro-Beijing LegCo member during clashes at the LegCo Complex in May 2019.[27]

Publications
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leung Yiu-chung.
  • 我固執而持久地，過這種生活 (2010) ISBN 9789881540362

References
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  2. "紮根葵涌區". 街坊工友服務處. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. 羅家晴 (23 July 2020). "專訪｜議會長跑24載 梁耀忠嘆路線不獲年輕人接受 籲三思而行". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  4. "眾新聞 | 別了，議會！——梁耀忠". 眾新聞 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. "拉攏李卓人 梁耀忠 何秀蘭 張超雄擬組新工黨". Apple Daily. 2 November 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  6. "街工通過會員議案 梁耀忠禁入工黨". Apple Daily. 12 September 2011. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  7. "平凡不等於平庸——「長勝將軍」梁耀忠". 浸大 新聞系新聞網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 10 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. "【泛民怎樣守住一區 2】三十年江山未改". The Stand News. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  9. "2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Kwai Tsing)". www.elections.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  10. "參選第一屆立法會直選". www.nwsc.org.hk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  11. "Official record of proceedings; Wednesday, 13 November 1996". Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 13 November 1996. p. 121. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  12. "Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – Members' Biographies ::Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung". www.legco.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  13. "'Sinner for 1,000 years': Veteran lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung apologises for handling of LegCo presidential vote". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  14. "【宣誓風波】梁耀忠重要關頭嗌PASS 畀人鬧到趴". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  15. Yuen, Chantal (14 October 2016). "Lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung backpedals complaint against LegCo secretariat following president vote debacle". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  16. "【立會選舉】27 歲主席牽頭四人名單戰新西 街工：不單憑初選結果決定退選 戴耀廷指違協議不應參與初選 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞". 立場新聞 Stand News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  17. "Group pulls out of Legco poll 'for pan-dems' unity' – RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  18. Chung, Gary (20 May 2001). "Indefinite justice". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  19. "大學線－第45期(封面故事)". ubeat.com.cuhk.edu.hk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  20. "等候董建華發落：為弱勢社群發聲". www.filmcritics.org.hk. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  21. Nakanishi, Ryota (29 July 2019). "Hong Kong Film Review: From the Queen to the Chief Executive (2001)". ryotanakanishi2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  22. "階級政治與政治階級（二）：街工兩次分裂，三種路向 | 區龍宇 | 立場新聞". 立場新聞 Stand News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  23. Yu, Elaine; Ramzy, Austin (18 April 2020). "Amid Pandemic, Hong Kong Arrests Major Pro-Democracy Figures". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  24. Wong, Rachel (18 April 2020). "15 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures arrested in latest police round up". Hong Kong Free Press. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  25. "Brief Report on the Arrest and Prosecution of Fifteen Human Rights Defenders for Organising or Taking Part in Unauthorised Assemblies" (PDF). Civil Rights Observer. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  26. "Eight Hong Kong activists jailed for up to a year and two months over June 4 vigil". The Standard. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  27. Lee, Peter (8 June 2022). "Ex-lawmaker jailed for 2 weeks over clash in Hong Kong legislature during 2019 extradition bill debate". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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