Maria Tam
In office 21 December 1996 – 27 June 1997 (Provisional Legislative Council) | |
Personal details | |
Born | Tam Wai-chu 2 November 1945 Hong Kong |
Political party | Progressive Hong Kong Society (1985–90) Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong (1990–97) Hong Kong Progressive Alliance (1997–2005) Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (2005–15) |
Education | St. Paul's Co-educational College |
Alma mater | University of London (LLB) Gray's Inn |
Occupation | Barrister |
Maria Tam | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Tán Huìzhū |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Tàahm Waih jyū |
Jyutping | Taam4 Wai6 zyu1 |
Maria Tam Wai-chu
As a successful politician early on, Tam was a member of the four different levels of representative councils,
Since 1997, she has become one of the most recognisable spokespersons and "most loyal mouthpieces" for the Beijing authorities on constitutional matters such as the interpretations of the
Early colonial career
Tam was born on 2 November 1945 in Hong Kong to Tam Chung, a senior police officer.[1] She graduated from the St. Paul's Co-educational College before she obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London and her admission as a barrister at the Gray's Inn.[2][3]
She first stepped into politics when she ran in the
Transition period
During her era the Sino-British negotiations over the Hong Kong sovereignty after 1997 took place. She was one of the members of the delegation of the unofficial members of the Executive and Legislative Councils (UMELC) led by Sir
She was appointed by the Beijing government to sit on the
She founded both the Federation of Women Lawyers and the Junior Police Officers' Association.[6] As the colonial government intended to introduce greater representative democracy in the transition period, Tam also founded the Progressive Hong Kong Society (PHKS) in 1985 to participate in the elections. The Progressive Hong Kong Society became the backbone of the Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong (LDF) set by a group of conservative business and professional elites in 1990 for the preparation of the first direct election of the Legislative Council in 1991, of which she became the vice-chairman of the new party.[7]
However, Tam's political career seemed to come to an end when she was found to be in a potential conflict of interest as she was involved in her family's taxi company while also being a member and former chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee.
Pro-Beijing career
After her departure from the colonial government, she found favour from the Beijing authorities. She accepted various appointments in the run up to 1997, including to the
In 1997, she led the Liberal Democratic Federation to merge with the
During the highly controversial
In February 2006, Tam joined the board of subsequently Hong Kong-listed mainland Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, one of the world's largest paperboard manufacturers, whose conditions for workers at its plants were sharply criticised in the 2008 human rights report by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China and by Hong Kong's Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM).[12]
Recent career
Tam became the convenor of National People's Congress Hong Kong delegation from March 2013. On the matter of the universal suffrage of the Chief Executive, Tam said the United Nations'
In 2015, Tam was appointed chairman of the Operations Review Committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.[16] Under her spell, high-flying head of investigations Rebecca Li Bo-lan was controversially sacked. The sudden dismissal came during Li's enquiry into possible impropriety relating to a $50 million payment made to Leung Chun-ying.[17]
In 2017, Tam was the founding president of the Junior Police Officers’ Association fund which raised over HK$10 million for the families of the seven police officers who were convicted and jailed for two years for beating activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu at the height of the Occupy protests in 2014.[18]
In November 2020, following the expulsion of 4 pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council, Tam said that NPCSC decisions are not challengeable, and that any judicial review would almost certainly fail.[19]
Tam supported the arrests of 53 pro-democracy figures in January 2021, and when asked about whether they were doing something illegal, she responded "All I can tell is that it is not 'nothing.' There is something. It is only a matter of whether more evidence is there."[20]
In February 2021, following the 2020 Hong Kong Legislative Council mass resignations, Tam claimed that there were not enough members of the Legislative Council to decide on reforms of the electoral system, and therefore the NPCSC would take charge of such reforms.[21]
In December 2021, during the 2021 Hong Kong legislative election, Tam played down the record-low voter turnout.[22] Tam said that the 30% voter turnout was "quite good" and within her expectations.[23]
In December 2022, after the NPCSC ruled that the Chief Executive could ban foreign lawyers from defending national security cases, in response to Jimmy Lai attempting to hire Tim Owen, Tam supported the NPCSC's decision and said Hong Kong courts were still independent and "no criticism were made against Hong Kong courts at all."[24]
In February 2023, Tam said that Hong Kong was "far more powerful and democratic" than when it was under British rule, and also said that "We have universal suffrage. We can impeach the chief executive. We have checks and balances in respect of the laws or the budget that's been put forward by the executive."[25]
See also
References
- ^ "【中環人語】譚惠珠警察爸爸 住半山開夜總會". 壹週Plus. 17 March 2017.
- ^ "Database on Legislative Council Members". The Legislative Council Commission.
- ^ a b c [1] Chinese University of Hong Kong Citation
- ^ a b "Hon. Maria Tam GBM GBS JP". Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation.
- ^ "反「釋」之謊:護法達人譚惠珠". 立場新聞. 30 September 2017.
- ^ Hong Kong police urged to reject ‘questionable’ cash for jailed officers’ families, SCMP, 6 Mar, 2017
- ^ Chan, Ming K. (1997). The Challenge of Hong Kong's Reintegration with China: Modern Diasporic Femininity. Hong Kong University Press. p. 58.
- ^ "Hong Kong's ICAC at risk of losing its independence". South China Morning Post. 8 July 2016.
- ^ Lo, Shiu-hing (2016). The Politics of Democratization in Hong Kong. Springer. pp. 239–40.
- ^ Vines, Steven (25 Mar 1997). "Tycoons shift allegiance as Britain's power wanes". The Independent
- ^ Loh, Christine. Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. p. 219.
- ^ Bluebox recycler cited for abuses, 23 February 2009. Toronto Star
- ^ Siu, Phila; Lau, Stuart; Lee, Colleen (31 March 2013). "Beijing-loyalist Maria Tam says the right to be elected is not universal". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "Beijing not ready to lay down law on 2017 election". South China Morning Post. 3 March 2014.
- ^ Tsang, Emily (1 July 2013). "Basic Law panel member Maria Tam receives Grand Bauhinia Medal". South China Morning Post.
- ^ ICAC Advisory Committees
- ^ Hong Kong Anti-Graft Watchdog Under Threat, Asia Sentinel, 11 July 2016
- ^ "Fund to help jailed Hong Kong police officers collects over HK$10 million". South China Morning Post. 2 March 2017.
- ^ "'Feel free to challenge the unchallengeable' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Opposition plan to reject budget, force Carrie Lam to quit 'illegal': pro-Beijing Tam | Apple Daily". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "'HK doesn't have enough lawmakers to decide reforms' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "EC members play down voter turnout - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "Turnout was well within my expectation: Maria Tam - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "'Interpretation strengthens power given to HK' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Ex-Hong Kong leader CY Leung slams UK group's seminar invitation withdrawal". South China Morning Post. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.