Frederick Ma 1328640 225740551 2008-07-15T04:37:01Z Ohconfucius 736651 /* Biography */ Little joy for Tsang in popularity stakes '''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 [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]], he was a popular figure with the public and with legislators of all parties. == Biography == Ma declared himself to be a [[Christian]], and was affectionately known in Hong Kong as "Fat Ma" because of his portly physique.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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 [[Hong Kong dollar|HK$]] 10 million to join the government.<ref name=scare>{{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}}</ref> 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]].<ref>[http://www.fibre2fashion.com/face2face/cedb-hongkong/frederick-ma.asp Online Interview with Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development]</ref> 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 [[Pro-democracy camp|pan-democratic 'opposition' parties]] for his even-handedness with all political parties.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Ma's approval/disapproval rating stood at 55 percent/9 percent as at early July 2008.<ref name=popularity>{{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}}</ref> 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 (Hong Kong)|Goods and Services Tax]] proposals, which were abandoned for lack of support in December 2006.<ref name=apart>{{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}}</ref> On [[24 June]] [[2008]], Ma resigned from the government for health reasons. He was diagnosed with "[[cavernous hemangioma]]" and "[[angioma|venous angioma]]" (blood vessel tumours) in the [[brain]].<ref>[http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/administration/080624/html/080624en01004.htm Frederick Ma resigns]</ref> {{start box}} {{succession box | title = [[Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury]] | years = July 2002 - 2007 | before = new position<ref>created by merging the previous positions of [[Secretary for the Treasury]] and [[Secretary for Financial Services]]</ref> | after = [[K C Chan]] }}{{succession box | title = [[Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development]] | years = 2007 - June 2008 | before = new position<ref>created by merging the previous positions of [[Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology]] and [[Secretary for Economic Development and Labour]]</ref> | after = [[Rita Lau]] }} {{end box}} == Reference == {{reflist}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Government officials of Hong Kong|Ma, Frederick]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong|Ma, Frederick]] [[Category:Living people|Ma, Fredrick]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Hong Kong|M]] [[Category:Chaoshanese people|M]] [[zh-yue:馬時亨]] [[zh:馬時亨]]