Chan Kam-lam, GBS, JP (; born 22 January 1949) is a former member of the

Legislative Council of Hong Kong The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LegCo) is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under China's " one country, two systems" constitutional arrangement, and is the power centre of Hong Kon ...

representing the Kowloon East constituency. He is also a core member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong.

Early life and education

Chan was born in Chaoyang,

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...

, China on 22 January 1949. He moved to Hong Kong with his parents when he was around 8 or 9 and lived in a squatter area in his childhood before they were assigned to a resettlement estate in

Kwun Tong Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowl ...

. He attended an English school in Kowloon City and became a sailor, a desk officer on a ship, for six years after his graduation. He later attended the Hong Kong Technical College, the predecessor of today's

Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a public research university located in Hung Hom, Hong Kong near Hung Hom station. The University is one of the eight government-funded degree-granting tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Founded ...

, and graduated in 1971.

Political career

Chan has been a long-time leading figure of the pro-Beijing grassroots organisation

Kwun Tong Residents Association The Kwun Tong Residents Association (, KTRA) is a long established Kaifong association rooted in Kwun Tong. It was established in 1974 and gained its status as non-profit organisation in 1999. It was seen as a traditional pro-PRC leftist group. The ...

. He began his career in politics when he was elected to the Kwun Tong District Board from Ngau Tau Kok in 1988. For his local influence, he was invited to join the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), the flagship pro-Beijing party established in 1992. In 1995, he ran for the

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Servic ...

but was defeated by Au Yuk-har, a

pro-democracy Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...

candidate. He was appointed to the Beijing-controlled Provisional Legislative Council on the eve of the handover in 1996 and was one of the ten members of the Election Committee constituency from 1998 to 2000 in the first

. Chan has represented the Kowloon East constituency since 2000 when he partnered with Chan Yuen-han. He is considered to be the hardliner in the pro-Beijing camp. In 2003, he followed the party line in support of the

Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 () is an article in the Basic Law, the constitution of Hong Kong. It states that Hong Kong "shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People ...

legislation, which sparked a

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooper ...

of more than 500,000 people on 1 July 2003, adding to controversy by remarking that the protesters had been "misled". He was the subject of criticism in 2013 for not having asked a single question for more than four months during the 2012–13 legislative session. On 11 March 2016, as acting chairman, he presided over the meeting of the Finance Committee at which HK$19.6 billion in additional funding for the controversial

Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL), also known as “Guangshengang XRL” (officially Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed railway, Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong section), is a high-speed railway line th ...

(XRL) project was approved in a sudden vote in the face of fierce protest and filibustering attempts from democratic camp legislators. Chan had facilitated the outcome by approving only 36 of 1,262 motions filed by 19 democrats. He is also a member of the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...

(CPPCC) National Committee. The

HKSAR Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino- ...

awarded Chan the

Silver Bauhinia Star The Silver Bauhinia Star (, SBS) is the second Bauhinia Star rank in the honours system of Hong Kong, awarded to people who have taken a leading part in public affairs or voluntary work over a long period. The award was created in 1997 to repla ...

(SBS) in 2005.

Family

He is married to Tsang Wai-ming, an indigenous inhabitant, and has three children. His eldest son, Chan Chun-kit is a Kwun Tong District Councillor.

Public positions

* Chairman of the Housing Panel of the Legislative Council (2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05) * Vice-Chairman of the Housing Panel of the Legislative Council (2001–02, 2003–04) * Members of the

Hong Kong Housing Authority The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is the main provider of public housing in Hong Kong. It was established in April 1973 under the Housing Ordinance and is an agency of the Government of Hong Kong. In the same year, the Resettlement Departm ...

* Member of the Board of Directors of the Urban Renewal Authority * Director of the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation * Non-Executive Director of the

Securities and Futures Commission The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong is the independent statutory body charged with regulating the securities and futures markets in Hong Kong. The SFC is responsible for fostering an orderly securities and futures marke ...

* Member of the Economic and Employment Council * Member of the Council of the

Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university and ...

* President of the

* Member of the Central and Standing Committees and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong * Vice-President of the Kowloon Federation of Associations * Executive Director of the Kowloon East Association * Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council (1998–2000) * Chairman of the Trade and Industry Panel of the Legislative Council (1998–2000) * Chairman of the Manpower Panel of the Provisional Legislative Council (1997–1998) * Vice-Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Provisional Legislative Council (1997–1998) * Member of the Bilingual Laws Advisory Committee (1995−1997)

References

External links

Biography

Kam Lam Chan's Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Kam-lam 1949 births Living people Alumni of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University District councillors of Kwun Tong District Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions People from Chaoyang District, Shantou Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong politicians Politicians from Shantou Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Members of the Provisional Legislative Council HK LegCo Members 1995–1997 HK LegCo Members 1998–2000 HK LegCo Members 2000–2004 HK LegCo Members 2004–2008 HK LegCo Members 2008–2012 HK LegCo Members 2012–2016 Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2017–2021 Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2021–2026 Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star Recipients of the Silver Bauhinia Star 20th-century Chinese politicians 21st-century Chinese politicians 20th-century Hong Kong people 21st-century Hong Kong people