Michael Suen

Michael Suen Ming-yeung GBM GBS CBE (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.

In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Suen. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Michael Suen and the Chinese-style name is Suen Ming-yeung.
The Honourable
Michael Suen
GBM GBS CBE
孫明揚
Chief Secretary for Administration
Acting
In office
28 September 2011 – 30 September 2011
Chief ExecutiveSir Donald Tsang
Preceded byHenry Tang
Succeeded byStephen Lam
In office
25 May 2005 – 30 May 2005
Chief ExecutiveHenry Tang (Acting)
Sir Donald Tsang
Preceded bySir Donald Tsang
Succeeded byRafael Hui
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
In office
4 August 1997 – 30 June 2002
Chief ExecutiveTung Chee-hwa
Preceded byNicholas Ng
Succeeded byStephen Lam
In office
1 March 1989 – 2 October 1991
GovernorDavid Wilson
Preceded byJohn Chan
Succeeded byMichael Sze
Secretary for Home Affairs
In office
7 November 1991 – 3 August 1997
GovernorDavid Wilson
Chris Patten
Secretary for Education
In office
1 July 2007 – 30 June 2012
Chief ExecutiveSir Donald Tsang
Preceded byArthur Li (as Secretary for Education and Manpower)
Succeeded byEddie Ng
Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
In office
1 July 2002 – 30 June 2007
Chief ExecutiveTung Chee-hwa
Sir Donald Tsang
Personal details
Born (1944-04-07) 7 April 1944
Chongqing, China
Michael Suen
Traditional Chinese孫明揚
Simplified Chinese孙明扬

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.[2]

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
  1. 華仁仔再出擊 師兄拔刀相助. 文匯報 (in Chinese). 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  2. "Mr Michael Suen Ming-yeung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Education". GovHK. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  3. Chong, Winnie (13 July 2007). "Grants Chief Opposes Creation of Body to Settle Disputes". The Standard. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  4. Patel, Nishika (13 November 2007). "Language Plan Gets Mixed Reviews". The Standard. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  5. 教育局局長與傳媒談話全文（只有中文）. info.gov.hk (Transcript of Secretary for Education) (in Chinese). 27 April 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  6. Chong, Winnie (6 June 2007). "'Long Hair' Among Suen Home Protesters Held". The Standard. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  7. Lee, Diana (25 May 2011). "OK, I'll Pull Them Down Now". The Standard. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  8. 承辦商準備拆卸孫明揚寓所僭建物. rthk.org.hk (in Chinese). 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  9. Ho, Serinah (26 May 2011). "Suen Tries to Mend Fences". The Standard. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
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