Hero or traitor? Student leader Billy Fung receives mixed reactions for HKU Council leak
The University of Hong Kong Student Union president Billy Fung Jing-en has come under fire from members of the HKU Council fordisclosing confidential information regarding the appointment of the pro-vice-chancellor.
Billy Fung. Photo: Wikicommons.
On Tuesday Fung breached the Council’s confidentiality rules by publicly revealing the reasoning behind the Council’s controversial decision to reject Johannes Chan Man-mun’s candidature for the University’s pro-vice-chancellor.
Council member and HKU professor Lo Chung-mau released a strongly-worded statement accusing Fung of using “dishonest means to achieve his aim”, RTHK reported.
Earlier, Council chairman Edward Leong Che-hung had also issued a statement condemning “the deplorable action” by Fung for showing “disregard and disrespect for… the Council member’s pledge of confidentiality.” He said the Council would consider sanctions against Fung.
Fung, however, continues to defend his decision. He told the RTHK that the open and transparent operation of the Council is more valuable than the confidentiality clause. He also said that his revelation was not for personal gain but was in-keeping with the right of the students to know the Council’s reasoning.
Others are applauding Fung’s move as a heroic one.
In a China File blog post, Oxford University doctoral student and China commentator Samson Yuen said that if it was not for Fung’s “heroic” leak, the public would have been kept from the Council’s “anti-intellectual” reasoning behind Chan’s rejection.
Chairman of HKU’s Academic Staff Association Dr. William Cheung Sing-wai told The Stand News he is proud of Fung for speaking up for righteousness.
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