HK comedian Eric Tsang angers the mainland press with five years of CPPCC no-shows
PUBLISHED : Friday, 06 February, 2015, 12:11am
UPDATED : Friday, 06 February, 2015, 3:25am
Mimi Lau in Guangzhou [email protected]
Actor Eric Tsang Chi-wai meet the media in a press conference at Kwun Tong in 2013. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong comedian Eric Tsang Chi-wai was criticised by the mainland press after failing to turn up at the annual political consultative conference in Jiangmen, Guangdong, for the fifth consecutive year.
Tsang was appointed a delegate of the Jiangmen provincial Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in January 2011, but has neither attended any committees nor submitted any consultation proposals, the Southern Metropolis News reported.
An editorial commentary by China Youth Daily yesterday urged Tsang to step down.
"To some celebrities, a local political consultative conference title is just an additional feature to them and they might not [take] it seriously. Delegate Zeng has never fulfilled his duty… and served as a poor example," the commentary said.
"Those who cannot fulfil the duties should either resign or be sacked," it added.
This is not the first time that a CPPCC delegate has been slammed for repeated absence.
In 2009, former Olympic champion hurdler and member of the national committee of the CPPCC, Liu Xiang, attended the annual session at the last minute following public criticism over his two-year absence.
The athlete cut short medical treatment in the United States and flew to Beijing two days before the session ended, apologising for his absence.
In the same year, Li Guikang , deputy director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, reminded the Hong Kong CPPCC delegates at the annual session to avoid a no-show and to take part in more CPPCC activities, particularly those involving research.
Tsang is the only celebrity delegate in the Jiangmen CPPCC and could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Additional reporting by Joyce Ng
