HONG KONG: Feng shui master Tony Chan, who this week lost his bid for the HK$100 billion estate of Hong Kong tycoon Nina Wang and then came under police scrutiny for possible forgery charges, now finds himself the target of a frenzy of public animosity vented on the Internet.

Within a day after Judge Johnson Lam ruled that the 2006 will submitted by Chan was a forgery and that Wang's estate should go to Chinachem Charitable Foundation, the rival claimant in the case, public anger went into full eruption.

Multiple groups have been established, gloating with undiluted malice over Chan's "defeat" in the case. As of Friday, the largest group celebrating Chan's downfall comprised 33,000 members. One of them was Gi Gi Kong, a 30-year-old housewife.

"It shows that Hong Kong people care about what's happening in this town. For me it's important to be able to take my stance in a public space and see there're other supporters of the cause. It's also interesting when you see the other side of the coin, when there're many groups that advocate different beliefs," she said.

Some of these groups are a source of information in that the administrators post updated newspaper articles and photos on the legal battle.

Fan Yip, a cultural critic, believes this kind of quasi-journalism by the public is a positive phenomenon. "It raises public awareness of many topics that may otherwise fade out from the news. In particular, it encourages young students to articulate their thoughts, and to develop a sense of responsibility towards society."

Chan remains under investigation for possible forgery charges. He was released on HK$5 million bail early Friday after more than 24 hours in police custody. He is ordered to report to police again in mid March.

(HK Edition 02/06/2010 page1)