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Agatha Ngai

THE EVENING news is not to be missed these days, with many important announcements coming out after dark.

On Wednesday at about 7pm, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa announced the resignation of Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.

Two hours later, the government revealed that Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung was leaving the government with immediate effect.

Soon after the announcements, Hong Kong's students gathered to discuss the events on the internet.

On the web site of The Hong Kong Secondary Students Concerning Article 23 Legislation Union, students cautiously welcomed the resignation of the official in charge of promoting the national security bill.

'The resignation of Mrs Ip isn't a big victory to us. We are against the Article 23 [legislation] because of its content, not who promotes it,' one of the messages read.

Who knows if the timing is good or bad. The question may be as contentious as how well - or badly - the two ministers performed their jobs since Mr Tung's 'semi-ministerial' system was introduced last year.

However, this may be the time to look back at the policies that have been most discussed on campus. The ministers' signature quotes have also kept us entertained. And Mrs Ip is never far behind in that regard. In fact, her hard-sell tactics have never been welcomed by students who often greeted her with jeers and heckling at public appearances.

During a forum at the Chinese University to promote the national security bill, she angrily rebuffed a student protester who tried to present her with a paper knife representing cuts to freedoms.

She said: 'I will not accept your knife. Your comments are exaggerated and untrue. Since when did we curb human rights?'

Although Article 23 has become Mrs Ip's (pictured) middle name, she began to anger students and the academic profession as early as June 2000 when seven student leaders were arrested for failing to inform the police seven days in advance of an assembly to support right-of-abode seekers.

The academic profession was greatly concerned and accused the government of selectively persecuting the students. More than 500 academics and researchers signed a campaign supporting the students in October that year.

Mrs Ip publicly attacked the activists and said they were 'a headache' for authorities. She also challenged the students to a debate in her office on the Public Order Ordinance.

After a heated debate, the government decided a month later that the students would not be charged, but maintained that they could be prosecuted if they repeated the offence.

The scandal surrounding Mr Leung's purchase of a luxury car before his announcement of increases in vehicle taxes has stirred up as much controversy as Mrs Ip's working style with students.

Voltorta College student Michael Cheung, who wrote to Young Post soon after the purchase was revealed by the press, described the event as one that 'only tells Hong Kong

people that Leung hasn't enough political intelligence to handle his or their affairs'.

Another student from King's College said in a letter to Young Post: 'His explanation, 'love made me blind', which he gave in Legco was so ridiculous ... I don't think a man who worked for decades in an American bank, where credibility counts for so much, could be so careless.'

Indeed, students may be the renowned orator's greatest challenge. In October last year, Mr Leung was left tongue-tied when caught off-guard by a student.

He was in Toronto briefing students from Hong Kong on the latest developments in the SAR when the student said: 'Brother Chung, I wish to congratulate you on soon becoming

a father.'

At the time, Mr Leung had not yet confirmed or denied whether his new wife - diving star Fu Mingxia - was pregnant. The couple married in July last year.



Late-night dramas