Hong Kong Baptist University student union hopeful has ‘no bottom line’, vows to continue Mandarin fight

Wong Nga-man, a Year Four sociology student specialising in China studies, aims to complete the push on scrapping the controversial language requirement if elected president

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Wong Nga-man says her cabinet’s core values are democracy, freedom and equality. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 8:00pm, 28 Mar 2018Updated: 9:36pm, 28 Mar 2018

The sole candidate for the controversial position of Baptist University student union president has vowed to continue fighting for the cancellation of an unpopular Mandarin graduation requirement, and says her cabinet has “no bottom line” on achieving its agenda.

The student body is voting to choose an executive committee for the first time since the university suspended current president Lau Tsz-kei and Chinese medicine student Andrew Chan Lok-hang for a week over their involvement in a stand-off with staff of the school’s language centre in January. Lau was filmed using foul language.
The election was meant to be held in February but was cancelled after Wong Nga-man, the sole candidate then and now, and her cabinet withdrew after a member pulled out due to family matters.

Baptist University has a Mandarin language requirement. Photo: Winson Wong

But Wong, 22, and her restructured cabinet are back for a by-election, with voting having opened on Monday until Thursday evening, with results expected that night.

Wong, a Year Four sociology student specialising in China studies, said she aimed to complete the push on scrapping the Mandarin requirement within her term if elected.

How a compulsory Mandarin course caused chaos at Hong Kong university

Last month, the university set up two working groups to review whether the requirement should be axed and are expected to submit final reports by June.