Health Scare Briefly Halts Hong Kong East Patriot Election Forum

A routine electoral husting for the Hong Kong East constituency was dramatically interrupted yesterday when one of the five candidates, Lee Ching-ha of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), suddenly fainted on stage and required emergency medical attention.

The incident occurred early in the “Patriots Governing Hong Kong” election forum, organized by the government, which took place in the afternoon. As Ms. Lee began outlining her platform, approximately two minutes into her speech, she visibly struggled, apologized to the audience, and appeared to hyperventilate before collapsing. Fellow candidates immediately rushed to her aid. Civil Aid Service members assisted in moving her onto a wheelchair before she was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Forum Pauses Amid Health Scare

The forum, featuring five candidates vying for the crucial Legislative Council (LegCo) seat—including Kwok Ho-king (New People’s Party), Stanley Ng Chau-pei (Federation of Trade Unions), Judy Tang Kit-ying (DAB), Edward Yuen Kin-chung (Liberal Party), and Ms. Lee—was temporarily suspended.

The host later announced that Ms. Lee would not be able to continue but encouraged the event to proceed, praising the candidates and supporters for their “election spirit.” Throughout the subsequent sessions, both Mr. Kwok and Mr. Yuen offered public wishes for Ms. Lee’s swift recovery. Reports indicated that Ms. Lee, who has previously experienced discomfort due to low blood sugar at public events, was conscious and awaiting examination in the emergency room, though the cause of the sudden ailment remains undetermined.

Policy Debates Focus on Stadium Overhaul and Social Welfare

Despite the disruption, the forum continued with heated discussions on key regional issues, primarily focusing on the future function of the Hong Kong Stadium and pressing social welfare concerns.

In the “Debate and Follow-up” segment, candidates debated whether to convert or upgrade the iconic stadium.

• Stanley Ng advocated for broadening public access while ensuring the venue retains its capacity to host professional international sporting events, aiming for maximized social and economic benefits.
• Judy Tang proposed rebranding the facility as the “Hong Kong Island Sports Park,” enhancing recreational amenities and potentially developing the area into a scaled sports administration hub, emphasizing the need to preserve public open spaces.
• Kwok Ho-king cautioned against hasty decisions, urging deep engagement with local stakeholders and data collection to integrate the stadium’s development with other major city venues to attract more international events.
• Edward Yuen supported converting the stadium into a comprehensive community sports center but stressed the importance of mitigating potential traffic congestion to protect residents.

Contrasting Platforms for Hong Kong East

The candidates used their platform pitches to highlight their unique priorities for the aging, densely populated district:

• Stanley Ng, positioning himself as the only candidate with executive and legislative experience, promised to prioritize local employment protection, enhance labor rights, and improve retirement security. He also called for the government to meet the three-year public housing wait-time target.
• Judy Tang focused on the severe aging population, proposing to waive rates (property taxes) for older residents who own and occupy their homes to ease financial burdens. She also committed to monitoring the proposed merger of the Hong Kong Island East-West Medical Networks.
• Kwok Ho-king, an academic-minded community worker, stressed data-driven policymaking. His key proposals included expanding Eastern Hospital facilities, increasing bed capacity, and retaining current general outpatient service fees.
• Edward Yuen directly appealed to the “sandwich class”—the middle-income earners facing high costs—arguing government policy often neglected them. He demanded lowered thresholds for student financial aid and caregiver service vouchers, along with the introduction of a tax allowance for employing foreign domestic helpers.
• Prior to her collapse, Lee Ching-ha had focused on community-level issues, citing the more than 500 “three-nil buildings” (those with no owners’ corporation, residents’ organization, or management company). She suggested deepening reforms for addressing water seepage issues and proposed building a third medical school and increasing the recruitment of overseas doctors to address the growing elderly population.

The forum underscored the diverse policy approaches among the government-vetted field of candidates, highlighting a blend of labor rights, infrastructure development, and social welfare adjustments aimed at improving life in Hong Kong’s eastern district. The outcome of the election will determine who represents this critical constituency in the restructured legislature.