Both CE candidate Tang Ying-yen (left) and Heung Yee Kuk Vice-chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung play down reports of an alleged extramarital affair between Tang and Lam's daughter Esther on Tuesday, calling the relationship "acquaintance". Meanwhile, Tang's popularity dropped to the lowest among all five CE hopfuls, according to a poll from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo Provided to China Daily

Candidate for Chief Executive Henry Tang Ying-yen has refused to comment on intimate emails, purportedly exchanged between Tang and a married woman.

The day when Tang received official qualification for his candidacy and the day after the revelation of more reports of an extramarital affair, an opinion poll gave Tang the lowest popularity among all five Chief Executive hopefuls.

In a poll conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Henry Tang's score rated by 1,200 residents has tumbled from 54 to 33 on a scale of 100, the lowest amongst all hopefuls. A quarter of respondents rated him zero.

Reports in the past two days alleged Henry Tang had carried on an extra marital affair with Esther Lam, the daughter of Heung Yee Kuk Vice-chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung, since late 2009. The claim was supported by a photograph and email exchanges.

Neither Henry Tang nor Daniel Lam responded to reporters' questions about the report first published on Monday. Both played down the report, calling the relationship an "acquaintance" on Tuesday.

Tang said he met Esther Lam at a social occasion, but declined to elaborate. "I am not commenting on individual events because it is not the first (scandal) to appear on press, and probably not the last one," he said.

Esther's father Daniel Lam said according to his knowledge, his daughter has never dated Henry Tang and she enjoys a warm family life with her son. He added Esther's Chinese is not fluent enough to fend off reporters' questions on her own.

Despite his popularity setbacks, Tang's qualification as a candidate froze the nominations of 378 electors who signed his papers, including billionaires Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau-kee and Raymond Kwok Ping-luen.

Other players in the field continued to work behind the scenes garnering support from the 639 electors still uncommitted. Tang's rival, Leung Chun-ying said an increased number of nomination forms came in on Tuesday. Jasper Tsang Yok-sing admitted he has made slow progress in trying to enlist support.

Jasper Tsang, the founding chairman of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), admitted his potential bid for the top office has aroused concerns from some within the party. "They think my candidacy may not be very beneficial to the party's outlook."

Tsang said as the DAB already had won a landslide victory at the district council election last year, and voters would tend to vote for the party's rivals in the forthcoming Legislative Council election in September if he won the CE election. He said he hoped to find a solution to reduce the pendulum effect.

CY Leung, who led the Chinese University poll with a score of 57, said on Tuesday that an increased number of nominations had been filed with his campaign office. No exact date was given for his formal registration, but he suggested on Tuesday that it could happen in a few days.

Leung did not directly comment on strong support behind his rival Henry Tang, but stressed his campaign aims to face the public. "It is a responsible approach under the current system," he said. "Hong Kong belongs to everyone. They can express care about the election even without a vote."

Regina Ip, who still has not gained more than 100 nominations to register as a candidate, said she believed the negative attacks and apparent chaos in the election are part of the democratic progress. She scored a 47 in the same poll, followed by Jasper Tsang at 45 and Albert Ho Chun-yan at 34.

kahon@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 02/22/2012 page1)