Chief Executive CY Leung has courted controversy yet again after he allegedly abused his position to violate airport security for his daughter, Chung-yan.
According to Apple Daily, Chung-yan was at Hong Kong International Airport at approximately 1am last Monday for a Cathay Pacific flight to San Francisco. The 23-year-old had reportedly entered the airport’s restricted area accompanied by her mother, Regina Tong, and passed through the baggage screening area, when she realised she had left her hand luggage outside, in an unrestricted area of the airport.
Tong, who had reportedly been given access to the restricted area due to her “special status”, allegedly asked Cathay Pacific staff to retrieve Chung-yan’s bag for her and bring it through the screening area.
Airline personnel apparently told the mother and daughter that doing so would be a security risk, and that Chung-yan would have to go outside, retrieve her luggage personally, and go through the screening process again. In response, Tong reportedly said, “You know who I am.”
According to Apple Daily, Chung-yan put her father on the phone with Cathay staff, who greeted him as “Mr. Leung”. In response, ol’ CY allegedly said, “Don’t call me Mr. Leung. Call me Chief Executive Leung.” (Not as snappy as “Bond. James Bond”, but still pretty sassy.)
Eventually, it is reported that a member of the Airport Authority personally ensured that Chung-yan’s baggage was retrieved from lost property and fast-tracked through baggage screening by a member of airport staff.
Dora Lai, chairwoman of the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union, said that Chung-yan should have retrieved her bag personally and gone through screening again to avoid “compromising security”, like any other passenger.
Democratic lawmaker Gary Fan concurred, and told Apple Daily that the Leungs’ abuse of privilege would only alienate and anger the public.
Coconuts Hong Kong has reached out to the Chief Executive’s office for comment.
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