Albert Jinghan Cheng (Traditional Chinese: 鄭經翰), nicknamed Tai-Pan (大班) (born July 3, 1946 in Hong Kong) is currently a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. He was formerly a popular current affairs commentator in Commercial Radio Hong Kong, and has left the job after an incident of alleged intimidation against him and a serious dispute with his former employer. After Donald Tsang became Chief Executive of Hong Kong, he announced that he will refuse future attendance of the round-table-meetings of the pro-democracy camp. Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Meanings of Tai-Pan: In the Chinese language, Tai-Pan was a term for foreign businessmen doing business in China or Hong Kong in the 19th century. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: LìfÇŽ Huì; formerly 立法局, LìfÇŽ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Special administrative region may be: Peoples Republic of China Special administrative regions, present-day administrative divisions (as of 2006) set up by the Peoples Republic of China to administer Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999) Republic of China Special administrative regions, also translated as special administrative... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Honourable Sir Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen[1], GBM, KBE, JP (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: , born October 7, 1944) has been the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2005. ... Other Hong Kong topics Culture - Economy Education - Geography - History Hong Kong Portal The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: XiānggÇŽng Tèbié XíngzhèngqÅ« Xíngzhèng ZhÇŽngguān; Cantonese Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 dak6 bit6 hang4 zing3 keoi1...

Personal life

Cheng was born in Hong Kong to a family which has roots in Chaozhou, Guangdong. His family has no notable political background. He studied at Kowloon Technical School, a government-funded vocational school. He later pursued his undergraduate degree in engineering and first worked as an aeroplane engineer. Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州 lit. ... Guangdong, often spelt as Kwangtung, is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Kowloon Technical School (九龍工業學校) is a technical secondary school founded by Hong Kong Government in Sham Shui Po of Kowloon in Hong Kong. ... Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ... Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering that concerns spacecraft and related topics. ...

Cheng left Hong Kong for Canada in 1968 after witnessing the Cultural Revolution in China. In 1971, he dated a popular Hong Kong singer, Paula Tsui (徐小鳯) but they broke up later. In 1987, he married Irene Lo Kam-sheung (勞錦嫦), a former winner of Miss Hong Kong Pageant contest. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wénhuà dà gémìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or even simpler, to 文革 wéngé, Cultural Revolution) in the Peoples Republic of China was a struggle for power within the... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Paula Tsui (徐小鳯) (born January 1, 1947) is a Cantopop singer in Hong Kong. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The Miss Hong Kong Pageant (香港小姐競選 or simply 港姐), or simply MHK, is a beauty pageant organised by the leading Hong Kong television station, Television Broadcasts (TVB). ...

Publishing and radio career

Albert Cheng was particularly concerned with social injustice and government incompetence. In his programme, he used to take the following action after receiving complaints from his audience: he called the alleged wrong-doer to ask for a response and pressed them to take remedial measures.

After the reunification of Hong Kong with the People' s Republic of China, he was dissatisfied with many policies of the HKSAR government. As he believed the HKSAR government was not performing satisfactorily his comments became more assertive and aggressive and he continued calling on the Chief Executive Mr.Tung Chee-hwa and his principal officials to resign. Other Hong Kong topics Culture - Economy Education - Geography - History Hong Kong Portal The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: ; see pronunciation; conventional short name Hong Kong Government, 香港政府), led by the Chief Executive is responsible for the administration of Hong... Chief Executive may refer to: Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive of Macau Chief Executive Officer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Tung Chee-hwa (Traditional Chinese: 董建華 Simplified Chinese: 董建华 Pinyin: Dǒng Jiànhuá) (born July 7, 1937, or the 29th day of the fifth month in the Chinese calendar) is the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People...

He was popular with his radio audience, and was rated as one of the 25 most influential Hong Kong people in 1997' s Time magazine poll and named as one of the Asia's Stars by BusinessWeek in 1998. He was informally named "Chief Executive before Ten" (十點前特首) as "Teacup in the Storm" was broadcast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ...

Attack

Some of his comments nearly claimed his life. On August 19, 1998, Cheng was attacked by two assailants wielding a meat cleaver and carving knife. He received seven deep knife wounds outside the Commercial Radio Headquarters. The six deep wounds were on his arms, back, and right leg. It required eight hours of surgery to reconnect muscles, bones and nerve tissues. Doctors said if the ambulance had arrived 10 minutes later, or the cut had been any deeper, he would have died. is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

After the surgery, Cheng walked with a limp without any feeling in his foot. He could no longer grip with his left hand. Although his fingers in his right hand could exert strength, he cannot fully extend them. An $800,000 reward was posted for any relevant information reported about the case. Police caught the driver of the getaway car, who served five months in jail, but he refused to identify Cheng's attackers.

Many believed that Cheng's frequent criticism of certain individuals, especially those with triad connections or underground power, caused his attack. Triad (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally Triad Society) or (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally Black Society, a general term for criminal organizations) is a term that describes many branches of Chinese underground society and/or organizations based in Hong Kong and Macau and also operating in Taiwan, mainland...

After undergoing intensive physiotherapy and necessary medical treatment he allegedly returned to the Commercial Radio with a wounded leg. Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ...

Criticism and praise during the SARS crisis

In April 2003, there was a SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. Cheng harshly condemned Dr Ko Wing Man (高永文), then acting Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, as failing to take effective measures to protect the public from the deadly disease. Dr Ko burst into tears while the programme was still on air. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sars may refer to any of the following: Severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly abbreviated as SARS Michael Sars, a Norwegian biologist, father of Georg Sars Georg Sars, a Norwegian biologist, son of Michael Sars Special Administrative Regions, commonly abbreviated as SARs Sars, Perm Krai, an urban settlement in Perm Krai... Hospital Authority is a statutory body managing all the public hospitals and institutes in Hong Kong. ...

After that, numerous medical professionals wrote to the Broadcasting Authority, complaining that Cheng had behaved unfairly and had exhibited a bias towards Dr. Ko. Subsequent spotlights intensified over Cheng's controversial and sensational style of hosting, in which many argued, resulted in him spending most of the air time talking, and as a result hampering and restricting callers as well as guests, from defending or explaining themselves.

However, he also initiated the "Do wear mask" (一人一口罩) campaign for fund-raising and collecting materials for medical professionals, SARS victims and their families. He also reflected the demands of medical professionals, urging prompt government actions on the crisis, and strengthening communication between government officials and citizens. He received an "Against SARS Award" (抗SARS傑出獎) in August 2003. He actively participated in the campaign of "Protecting Victoria Harbour" (保護維港) and well as achieving his goal of acquiring Emergency Alarm System (平安鐘) on behalf and for a number of elderly pensioners. Victoria Harbour The night view of the Victoria Harbour with the skyscrapers in Central behind, viewed from Tsim Sha Tsui Victoria Harbour (Traditional Chinese: 維多利亞港; Simplified Chinese: 维多利亚港; Cantonese Jyutping: wai4 do1 lei6 aa3 gong2; Mandarin Pinyin: Wéiduōlìyà GÇŽng) is the harbour between the Kowloon Peninsula and the... The Personal Emergency Link (PE Link) was established by Senior Citizen Home Safe Association to launch a 24-hour personal emergency link to help the needy in Hong Kong. ...

Allegations of suppression of freedom of speech

There was a public belief that Cheng, through his phone-in radio programme, wielded too much power and public influence. In early 2004, Cheng's show went on hiatus, with Cheng claiming that he and two other political talk show hosts - Wong Yuk-man and Allen Li Peng-fei - had been threatened by certain individuals with connections to the People's Republic of China government. The hiatus of the three most famous political talk show hosts in Hong Kong stirred waves of controversy. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There were also moves to monitor the radio broadcasting of both Wong Yuk Man and Albert Cheng. Winnie Yu, the president of Commercial Radio, invited Tony Tsoi as her right-hand man, who in turn employed Leung Man To and Martin Oei to monitor the radio broadcasting of Wong Yuk-man and Albert Cheng respectively. Half of the broadcasting hours of Albert Cheng were trimmed, to make way for a new programme hosted by another person connected with Winnie Yu, as well as Teresa Mo. Prof. ... Teresa Mo Sun-Kwan (毛舜筠) (born 1953) is a Hong Kong actress. ...

After the initial waves of controversy had calmed down, another wave started when Winnie Yu decided to terminate Cheng's contract and called Allen Li Peng-fei a coward.

Mystery on suppression of freedom of speech again

In April 2004, Albert Cheng claimed that he was pressured by persons with obscure backgrounds over the past four years, telling him to stop criticising the government. Those veiled threats he claimed, petrified not only him but also his family. As a result, he requested a five-month vacation.

However, in July 2004, Ms Winnie Yu revealed an early settlement of Cheng's contract. She criticised that Cheng had always taken leave at his own convenience and that he could not guarantee the same thing would not happen again. She therefore concluded that it was a violation of the contracted terms. In addition, she said the fact that the hosts were running away one after another would destroy the freedom of speech. She could not accept it because it would have ruined the image of Hong Kong. Subsequently, she was determined to terminate Cheng's contract early.

In spite of the ceasing of their working relationship, Albert has commented that he had been "very happy" during his 10 years as a radio host in Commercial Radio. The affair has not affected his friendship with Winnie Yu. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Surmounting election barrier

Cheng's departure exacerbated a wide-spread rumour that he was planning ahead to contest for a directly-elected seat in LegCo Election 2004. He was reported to have been applying for a cancellation of his Canadian passport for election purpose (Legislators are not allowed to have dual nationalities). Elections for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) were held on September 12, 2004. ...

Later on, the truth was unveiled and the rumour verified. Cheng announced his decision to run for the election. There were, however, obstacles to this decision.

A lot had happened before his election in Legco. His former employer Commercial Radio questioned whether it was appropriate for him to be a Legco candidate given he was a former media worker. Most seriously, Cheng disclosed that he was prevented by Winnie Yu from participating in the election. He told the media that she had approached him, telling him that he could have his contract renewed if he dropped the decision to enter the election. "They didn't want me to host the programme and they would pay me every month. But there was one condition: I could not stand for Legco elections." Cheng said.

Winnie Yu had denied the accusation. She said the radio station did not receive any political pressure. "That is a big misunderstanding", she commented on the allegation. Nevertheless, Cheng had reported the case to Independent Corporation Against Corruption (ICAC). Ms Winnie Yu said Cheng had told Mr Tsoi Tung Ho, Tony (蔡東豪), the then chief operating officer, in mid-June that he was considering standing for election. She said that he had to choose whether to keep the contract or stand for election. "I didn't want to delay his election timetable. We didn't mean to block him from standing, but the contract won't be valid if he stands." Later, Cheng's contract was formally terminated on June 25. It was alleged to have been issued by a law firm on behalf of the Commercial Radio station and delivered to Cheng while he was still in Canada. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was formed on 15 February 1974 to clean up endemic corruption in Hong Kong government and in particular, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. ...

Ms Yu said it was fair that the contract would become invalid if Cheng had stood for elections. "Many people will agree a Legco member should not have the most popular airtime programme as his platform at the same time."

Cheng said in his regular column in Ming Pao Weekly that Teacup would no longer be the "cup of tea of ordinary people" if it was full of rational analysis and without emotional input. No matter what the programme's new approach is, Cheng's Teacup has come to an end.

Passion in politics

Cheng promised his voters that he would walk with them, no matter whether it is a sunny, cloudy or rainy day. There were certain issues, which were quite important to the livelihood of lower income group, like promising to improve conditions for public housing tenants and push through development project. He proposed the prompt urban renewal of Yue Man Square in Kwun Tong, first proposed in 1981, and the relocation of the residents to vacant public housing flats in the area. In addition, he proposed that the former Kai Tak Airport site should be turned into the largest urban park in Kowloon, while a Fisherman's Wharf should be built at Lei Yue Mun to attract tourists and stimulate the Kowloon East economy. The most important thing is that he would continue his tough-talking style. He was elected mainly because he is a fresh element that will increase interest and the motivation of voters to participate, as referred by political scientist Ivan Choy, who taught at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Yue Man Square (裕民坊) is the town centre of Kwun Tong in Kowloon of Hong Kong. ... Kwun Tong (Traditional Chinese: ; originally 官塘) is an area in Kwun Tong District, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. ... Kai Tak Airport (Traditional Chinese: ) was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. ... In modern day Hong Kong, Kowloon refers to the urban area made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutters Island in the west, Tates Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and... Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門, literally Carps channel) (a. ... The Chinese University of Hong Kong or 香港中文大學 (Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 zung1 man4 daai6 hok6, Mandarin Pinyin: Xiānggǎng Zhōngwén Dàxué), commonly referred to as CUHK or 中大 (Chung Tai, Cantonese IPA: tsʊŋ55 taːi33, Jyutping: zung1 daai6), is the second oldest universities in Hong...

As a lawmaker

Media attention was then directed to speculation on which constituency Cheng would compete in. As a matter of fact, even Cheng himself was swinging between New Territories West or Kowloon East constituency.

At the beginning, Albert Chan Wai-yip (陳偉業), a veteran local politician, was reportedly found to approach Cheng, discussing about a possible election partnership in New Territories West. But politics changed very quickly. Cheng was then determined to contest in Kowloon East constituency, where he partnered with Andrew To Kwan-hang (陶君行), a district councillor of Wong Tai Sin constituency and a member of The Frontier (前綫). Albert Chan Wai Yip (born 3 March 1955 in Hong Kong with family root in Shunde, Guangdong) is member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong since 1991 except between 1997 and 2000. ... Wong Tai Sin (黃大仙; Pinyin: Huáng Dàxian) is a Chinese deity popular in Hong Kong with the power of healing. ... The Frontier (前綫) is a pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Albert Cheng not only had to compete hard against pro-Beijing candidates but also pro-democracy ones. In Kowloon East Constituency, there were two pro-Beijing lists, one headed by unionist Chan Yuen-han and another by Chan Kam-lam, both were influential members of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB). Democrat Fred Li Wa-ming (李華明) led Wu Chi-wai (胡志偉) and Ho Wai-to (何偉途) to contest in the constituency. Apart from Fred Li' s list, Cheng also faced with the challenge from Alan Leong Ka-ki, a senior counsel rose to popularity during the Basic Law Article 23 controversy. Chan Kam Lam (born January 22, 1949 in Shantou, Guangdong, China) is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. ... The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) (民主建港協進聯盟, formerly 民主建港聯盟, or 民建聯 in short) is the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong SAR of the PRC. Founded in 10 July 1992, the party has been headed by Ma Lik since December 2003. ... Fred Li Wah Ming is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong since 1991, except between 1997 and 1998. ... Alan Leong Kah Kit, SC (Traditional Chinese: ) (born February 22, 1958) is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, representing the Kowloon East geographical constituency and the vice-chairperson of the Independent Police Complaints Council. ... Look up counsel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This is a list of articles about the fundamental constitutional laws, known as Basic Laws, of various jurisdictions. ... Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 is the basis (parent statute) of a security law proposed by the Government of Hong Kong. ...

During his campaign in Sau Mau Ping, he encountered threats of violence and offensive statements about him by more than 100 elderly people. He criticised the behavior of those people and said it was "the darkest day in Hong Kong". Sau Mau Ping Temple, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, China Kowloons Sau Mau Ping Temple provides the setting for the Monkey God Festival, one of Hong Kongs most fascinating, and strange, celebrations. ...

Even though competition within the pro-democracy camp was fierce, Albert Cheng won overwhelmingly on the election day. Of a total of 293,702 valid votes in the Kowloon East constituency, Cheng' s list received 73,424, accounted to around 40%. His triumph was believably attributable to his populist campaign platform and possession of a strong grassroot support. His principles include championing social justice, supervising government to prevent corruption and upholding freedom of speech and human rights.

On September 21, 2004, he told reporters that he would retire at the end of LegCo 2007. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Life as a columnist

Albert Cheng also writes a column in the South China Morning Post. His column can be found in the Insight page of the Post. The content of the column is normally related to current affairs in Hong Kong. The readers can even have a live interactive internet session with him at certain times. The South China Morning Post, together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is the dominant English-language newspaper in Hong Kong, with a circulation of 104,000. ...

External links

• Official website of Hong Kong Legislative Council
• Homepage of Albert Cheng