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, colloquially known as LegCo, is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under People's Republic of China, China's "one country, two systems" c ...
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, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
, 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 Kowloon P ...
. 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, and graduated in 1971.
Political career
Chan has been a long-time leading figure of the pro-Beijing grassroots organisation
Kwun Tong Residents Association. 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 Services ...
but was defeated by Au Yuk-har, a
pro-democracy candidate. He was appointed to the Beijing-controlled
Provisional Legislative Council on the eve of the
handover
In cellular telecommunications, handover, or handoff, is the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another channel. In satellite communications it is the process of transf ...
in 1996. He was one of the ten members of the
Election Committee constituency from 1998 to 2000 in the first
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, colloquially known as LegCo, is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under People's Republic of China, China's "one country, two systems" c ...
. 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 legislation, which sparked a
protest
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
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 (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
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...
(CPPCC) National Committee member.
The
HKSAR Government awarded Chan the
Silver Bauhinia Star (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
* 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
* 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 university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...
* President of the
Kwun Tong Residents Association
* 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
BiographyKam 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 politicians