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, part of the pan-democracy camp, and a former long-time member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[1] He represented the New Territories West geographical constituency between 1998 and 2016, and the District Council (Second) functional constituency between 2016 and 2020. Leung has also been a member of the Kwai Tsing District Council since 1985.

Leung Yiu-chung
梁耀忠
Member of the Legislative Council
In office 1 October 2016 – 1 December 2020
Preceded by	Frederick Fung
Constituency	District Council (Second)
In office 2 July 1998 – 30 September 2016
Preceded by	New parliament
Succeeded by	Andrew Wan
Constituency	New Territories West
In office 11 October 1995 – 27 June 1997
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Sophie Leung
Constituency	Textiles and Garment
Personal details
Born	19 May 1953 Hong Kong
Nationality	Chinese (Hong Kong) (1997–)
Political party	Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre
Other political affiliations	Revolutionary Marxist League Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China
Spouse(s)	Lai Siu-chun
Residence	Hong Kong
Alma mater	University of Essex (BA) University of Hong Kong (PGED)
Profession	Teacher Legislative Councillor
Signature

Leung Yiu-chung
Chinese	梁耀忠
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Lèuhng Yiuh jūng Jyutping Loeng^4 Jiu^6 zung^1

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] Upon his return 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 being the worst affected. His investigation forced the Housing Authority to agree to dismantle and reconstruct the jerry-built buildings, and assisted 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]

Publications

• 我固執而持久地，過這種生活 (2010) ISBN 9789881540362

References

1. "Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung". Members' biographies. Legislative Council, HKSAR. Archived from the original on 20 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
2. "紮根葵涌區". 街坊工友服務處. 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). Retrieved 31 July 2020.
4. "眾新聞 | 別了，議會！——梁耀忠". 眾新聞 (in Chinese). 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.
6. "街工通過會員議案 梁耀忠禁入工黨". Apple Daily. 12 September 2011.
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). 10 September 2016. 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.
9. "2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Kwai Tsing)". www.elections.gov.hk. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
10. "參選第一屆立法會直選". www.nwsc.org.hk. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
11. "Official record of proceedings; Wednesday, 13 November 1996". Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 13 November 1996. p. 121.
12. "Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – Members' Biographies ::Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung". www.legco.gov.hk. 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). 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. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
17. "Group pulls out of Legco poll 'for pan-dems' unity' – RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
18. Chung, Gary (20 May 2001). "Indefinite justice". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
19. "大學線－第45期(封面故事)". ubeat.com.cuhk.edu.hk. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
20. "等候董建華發落：為弱勢社群發聲". www.filmcritics.org.hk. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
21. Nakanishi, Ryota (29 July 2019). "Hong Kong Film Review: From the Queen to the Chief Executive (2001)". ryotanakanishi2017. 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. 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. 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. 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. Retrieved 31 July 2020.