Wong's Resignation: A Necessary Step for Legco and Administration

The circumstances that sparked Wong’s resignation – his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving and a hit-and-run – are unfortunate for both Legco and the administration.

There is no arguing over his decision to quit; it is best for everyone. At the very least, Wong resigned without having put the Legco Supervisory Committee to work. Wong is innocent until proven guilty. But letting the legal process run its course could have had political ramifications for not only himself but also the legislature.

So in the interest of not letting the incident and Legco’s proceedings over the matter impact the government’s work and public image, Wong’s decision to resign was the right one.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, and Tam Yiu-chung, formerly Hong Kong’s sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, seem to think differently. Lau and Tam are not known to be careless with their words, which is why Hongkongers should take note. Both men said that the loss of Wong’s seat was unlikely to significantly affect the legislature’s operations.