Businessman Checkley Sin signs up for CE race

Businessman and film producer Checkley Sin has become the first person to throw his hat into the ring for the Chief Executive post.

Speaking on a nine-minute video posted on his Youtube channel on Wedneday, Sin, 64, said he pondered about his future after encountering “a major setback relating to his family” last year, saying he also received encouragements from many friends and netizens for him to spend more time and effort on matters that would contribute to Hong Kong.

He also said the city needs changes.

“Although the city has become calmer and quieter on the surface after the enactment of the national security law, Hong Kong is worn out. After experiencing more than two decades of ‘internal exhaustion’, Hong Kong has come to a stage where its wounds need to be thoroughly treated,” Sin said.

He said he hopes to use his knowledge and experience to help strengthen Hong Kong’s status as an international financial and technology hub, adding that he will focus on tackling livelihood issues if he’s elected.

“The focus of my election platform is that I will bring in sweeping changes to tackle livelihood problems, including housing, medical services, education and social welfare. My goal is to improve people’s living standards and to build a harmonious society. I will equally consider the reasonable rights of different classes and I will not advocate hatred against the rich or ‘mutual discrimination’, because this is not how a harmonious society should be,” he said.

Sin was the former chairman of the listed filmmaking company National Arts Entertainment and Culture Group. He set up a Youtube channel in October 2019 where he regularly comments on current affairs. His channel now has around 156,000 subscribers.

Under the revamped electoral system, anyone intending to join the Chief Executive election must secure at least 188 nominations from the 1,500-member election committee – and they must include at least 15 nominations from each of the committee’s five sectors.

The election is scheduled on March 27.