Hong Kong lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai has become the first to resign from the Legislative Council over a scandal in more than two decades, following his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving and a hit-and-run.
Wong’s announcement that he had stepped down on Friday came hours after the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) suspended Wong, an associate dean of its engineering faculty, from administrative duties.
“I sincerely apologise for the distress caused to society and the Legislative Council by the recent traffic incident,” Wong said.
“To avoid impacting the operation of the Legislative Council, after careful consideration, I have decided to resign from all my positions in the Legislative Council with immediate effect.”
He also appealed for the public’s understanding about being unable to comment further given that a police investigation was under way, adding that he would continue to strive for the community and the city in his future roles.
Wong, 66, was arrested on Monday night after crashing his car into two parked vehicles on campus.
Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king said he submitted his letter of resignation on Friday.
“The president respects his decision and sincerely thanks him for his dedicated service to the Legislative Council and his contributions to Hong Kong,” she said.
Wong is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said Wong’s swift resignation was to be expected.
He described the decision as the “best move” to minimise further damage to the reputations of both Wong and the legislature.
Holding onto the position could allow an attack on the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong, he said.
“Resigning as soon as possible will benefit Wong personally, the Legislative Council and the overall harmony and stability of society,” he said.
Lau added that Wong was also likely to step down from his CPPCC role, and he expected that central authorities would accept the resignation given the severity of the incident, even though the expulsion of a member was rare.
Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s former sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, agreed that resignation was appropriate.
“He made a serious mistake this time, and given the high standards expected of legislators, it is a wise move for him to resign,” he said.
The loss of Wong was unlikely to significantly affect the legislature’s operations because he was from the Election Committee constituency, as opposed to a functional constituency, which needed to reflect the views of a sector, Tam said.
He noted that the decision on whether to hold a by-election to fill the seat rested with the government.
“There is no legal requirement for a by-election,” Tam said, adding that the decision could depend on several factors, such as how much time remained until the end of the term.
A seat was left vacant for about three years in the previous Legco after no by-election was held following the departure of Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, also an Election Committee constituency lawmaker. He left to join the government as its think tank chief in late 2022.
In a 2024 Legco meeting, then-constitutional affairs minister Erick Tsang Kwok-wai told lawmakers that financial prudence would be weighed when considering whether to hold a by-election.
The South China Morning Post has contacted the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau for comment.
Wong is the first legislator to resign over a scandal in more than 20 years.
The previous lawmaker to resign over a scandal was Gary Cheng Kai-nam, who quit shortly after winning a seat in September 2000. It was revealed he had failed to disclose business ties, passed a confidential government document to a business contact and engaged in an extramarital affair.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2001 after being found guilty of four offences – one count each of bribery, misconduct in public office, false accounting and theft.
A CUHK spokeswoman said on Friday that the university was deeply concerned about the incident.
“The university attaches great importance to the conduct and professional ethics of its staff and has immediately suspended the staff member from administrative duties,” she said.
She added that the case was under police investigation and it would be inappropriate for the university to comment further at this stage.
Aside from working as a lawmaker and academic, Wong holds other positions in various organisations.
According to a source, Wong lost control of his vehicle near a staff residence at 10.46pm on Monday, hitting a parked car that was pushed into a second vehicle.
He allegedly left the scene and later parked outside another staff residence. A security guard reported the incident about 30 minutes later.
Wong later returned but failed a breathalyser test. No one was injured, but all three vehicles sustained damage.
He was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, careless driving and failing to stop and report an accident. He has been released on bail and is due to report back to police in late July.
The arrest only came to light on Wednesday afternoon, after Wong attended a flag-raising ceremony that morning marking the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
