Hong Kong’s leader had to issue a clarification on Friday after he congratulated one of his senior advisers on his “puberty” in a dinner speech, saying his remarks should be taken into context after they sparked criticism about his use of English.
A source said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was simply trying to make “lighthearted” comments by quoting the adviser, Ronny Tong Ka-wah.
A video clip of his remarks began circulating on Thursday night after Lee attended a fundraising dinner to mark the ninth anniversary of Path of Democracy, a think tank established by Tong, a barrister and member of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council.
“I congratulate Ronny on his energy, commitment and more importantly, the puberty he always has,” Lee said in his opening remarks, adding that he hoped “the puberty is not just on developing new talents, but also on other things”.
The clip created a buzz on social media with his critics targeting Lee’s English and speech-writers. Some suggested he had mistakenly used “puberty” for “probity”.
Tong was the first to respond, telling the Post that he had used the word in a previous speech to illustrate how his organisation had gone through a “turbulent youth” and that it had come of age like an adolescent going through puberty.
He said he believed Lee had simply picked up on this metaphor in delivering his own remarks, and that part of the speech had been taken out of context.
“Neither he nor his team have wrongly used the metaphor. I think this ‘controversy’ is wholly out of context and created by some with ill intent,” he said.
The Chief Executive’s Office followed that up with its own statement on Friday night, saying the raised eyebrows “were understandable because they were not at the event to hear the preceding speech” made by Tong.
“[The chief executive] quoted Mr Tong’s words at the beginning of his speech as a gesture of respect to Mr Tong. The words were made in direct reference to Mr Tong’s words,” it said, adding the leader’s remarks “are to be read in such context”.
A source familiar with the matter added that Lee had been “trying to make some lighthearted remarks by quoting Ronny Tong”.
