Popular political pundit Stephen Shiu, known for his commentary of Hong Kong affairs, apologized Sunday for not wearing a mask while filming a video on a train in Taiwan.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Shiu said commuters must wear masks when entering train stations in the territory, but are allowed to remove them when eating. He also said he was sitting with people he knew—his wife and friends—but acknowledged that these “are not excuses.”
“‘[I’ve] set a very bad example,” he said. “I sincerely apologize.”
Shiu said he had already removed the two videos, in which he was offering his signature commentary about recent political developments in Hong Kong.
The top Taiwan-based commentator was criticised over the weekend after media outlets, including Apple Daily and a number of Taiwanese publications, pointed out that he was not wearing a mask while traveling on public transportation in two clips uploaded on Dec. 25.
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In his apology, Shiu said he put his mask back on after being reminded by a train attendant.
With over 726,000 subscribers on YouTube, Shiu is one of Hong Kong’s most well-known political pundits. His following increased during the protests last year when some protesters, drawn to his anti-government stance, perceived his analysis of local affairs as pointed and insightful.
He uploads as many as ten videos a day, and is among the list of top 10 fastest growing YouTube channels in Hong Kong in 2020.
