Frederick Ma

Frederick Ma Si-hang (馬時亨) (born 1952 in Hong Kong with family roots in Chaozhou, Guangdong). As a former Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, he was a popular figure with the public and with legislators of all parties. He is also the cousin of Eric Tsang, a Hong Kong famous artist.

Biography

Ma declared himself to be a Christian, and was affectionately known in Hong Kong as "Fat Ma" because of his portly physique. [cite news|author=Ambrose Leung & Albert Wong |title='Fat Ma' views golf, travel as a likely remedy|publisher= "South China Morning Post"|pages=A3|date=26 June 2008]

Ma was previously Chief Financial Officer of PCCW, and before then a private banker with JP Morgan Private Bank, part of JP Morgan Chase. Ma gave up an annual salary of in excess of HK$ 10 million to join the government.cite web|url= http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=67695&sid=19510754&con_type=1&d_str=20080625&sear_year=2008|title= Brain scare forces Fred Ma to resign|author= Nickkita Lau, Patsy Moy & BonnieChen|publisher= "The Standard"|date= June 25, 2008|accessdate=2008-07-15]

As a 'cabinet-level' political appointee under the Principal Officials Accountability System, he was a member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong. Ma entered the government in July 2002 as Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, and was appointed to Secretary for Commerce in July 2007. [ [http://www.fibre2fashion.com/face2face/cedb-hongkong/frederick-ma.asp Online Interview with Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development] ]

In the early weeks of his government tenure, Ma he weathered the resignation calls for the "penny stocks fiasco" in July 2002, but has since earned recognition as one of the more astute and popular politicians, according to opinion polls. Ma has been praised by the pan-democratic 'opposition' parties for his even-handedness with all political parties. [cite news|author=Chris Yeung|title=A hard act to follow, and a blow to a team in a spot of trouble|publisher= "South China Morning Post"|pages=A3|date=26 June 2008] Ma's approval/disapproval rating stood at 55 percent/9 percent as at early July 2008.cite web|url= http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=68301&sid=19683640&con_type=1&d_str=20080709&sear_year=2008|title= Little joy for Tsang in popularity stakes|author= Beatrice Siu|publisher= "The Standard"|date= July 9, 2008|accessdate=2008-07-15]

As Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, one of Ma's jobs was to sell the the Tsang administration's Goods and Services Tax proposals, which were abandoned for lack of support in December 2006.cite web|url= http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=67695&sid=19510754&con_type=1&d_str=20080625&sear_year=2008|title= Ma bows out as the man apart|author= Stephen Brown|publisher= "The Standard"|date= June 27, 2008|accessdate=2008-07-15]

On 24 June 2008, Ma resigned from the government for health reasons. He was diagnosed with "cavernous hemangioma" and "venous angioma" (blood vessel tumours) in the brain. [ [http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/administration/080624/html/080624en01004.htm Frederick Ma resigns] ]

References