Stephen Shiu

Born to a middle-class family in Hong Kong, Shiu is the third of six children. His father Pak-yin Shiu was an overseas Chinese construction materials businessman. Shiu studied at St. Paul's College, Hong Kong and was classmates with Tsang Tak-sing, former Secretary for Home Affairs. He studied History at the University of Hong Kong following his A-levels. He began studying for a master's degree in History but dropped out.

In 1987, Shiu began collaborating with Wong Yuk-long in creating popular comics such as Zui Quan (醉拳) and Oriental Heroes (龍虎門), on which films Drunken Master and Dragon Tiger Gate were based, respectively.[2]

In 2003 Shiu acquired Rainbow International Ltd (彩虹國際) and changed its name to 變靚D控股 Ltd, a body slimming company.[3]

He founded Hong Kong Reporter (香港人網) in 2004. In recent years, it became a podium for radical ideas and helped garner support for political party People Power, including its protests and activities.[4]

Shiu is a screenwriter and film producer whose works include 1992 Hong Kong Film Awards winner To Be Number One. After the handover, Shiu was a co-host on a Metro Radio current affairs programme before starting up his own stations online.[4]

In 2013 Shiu announced that he is to launch a new radio station, weeks after having closed one of Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy radio stations.[4] Memehk.com was inaugurated shortly after.[5]

Shiu is an outspoken supporter of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace group, a pro-democracy, civil rights advocacy group that organised the 2014 Hong Kong protests.[4]

In May 2012 he announced that he would close Hong Kong Reporter if People Power failed to win at least 3 seats in the city's Legislative Council. In an interview he stated that 'Hong Kong is in grave danger', and that the Council needed enough opposition voices to counter Chief Executive-elect Leung Chun-ying.[6] At a People Power hustings in June 2012 he declared his candidacy for the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency.[7]

On 22 March 2013 he announced in his own radio programme that Hong Kong Reporter would cease production, citing his 'disappointment' in many of his former political allies and partners.[8] He made it clear that he has withdrawn support for People Power, and would not support any other political party from that day forth.[9] He founded the purportedly politically unaffiliated memehk.com as its replacement on 1 June 2013.[10]

On 24 November 2014, one day after delivering a speech to the crowd at the 2014 Hong Kong protests, Shiu's vehicle was forcibly stopped by two cars, causing damage to his vehicle. He was not injured as a result of the incident.[11] He believed the attack was in retaliation to his comments and news reports by his own outlet memehk.com, stating 'only criminal gangs are capable of [such acts]'.[12]

In 2003 Shiu was involved in a pyramid scheme. The company he co-created was accused of selling electronic currency to its customers, who later discovered they were unable to purchase goods at market value with said currency.[13]

On 18 July 2011, Shiu announced his intention to acquire Hong Kong Golden Forum, a popular internet forum, and to merge it with Hong Kong Reporter.[14] This was met with vocal opposition from the forum's users,[15] some of whom created a number of parodies with profanities.[16][17]

During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, as seen in video footage widely shared online, a man was doused in flammable liquid and set on fire by a protester in Ma On Shan.[18] In response, Shui made misleading comments to argue that the video was faked, but his statement was quickly debunked as false afterwards.[18] The Hong Kong Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Police Force both confirmed that the incident had happened and that the victim remained in a critical condition.[18] Shui has since retracted his comments and issued an apology.[18]

He was in a relationship with Pamela Peck, Mei-lai Kok (sister of director Vincent Kok) and Deanie Ip.[20] Currently he is married to Lai-mei Hau, and they have a son and three daughters.

• memehk.com
• Hong Kong Reporter
• Stephen Shiu filmography
• Patreon Channel of Stephen Shiu