Bernard Charnwut Chan appointed Chairman of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, succeeding Henry Tang.

Appointments to Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced

The Government announced today (September 23) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan to succeed Mr Henry Tang Ying-yen as Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), as well as Mr Jat Sew-tong and Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har as Vice-Chairman and a new member of the Board of the WKCDA respectively, for a two-year term from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2027.

Commenting on the appointments, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said, "Mr Chan is the current Vice-Chairman of the WKCDA Board. He had been a Board member for a number of years before serving as Vice-Chairman, and is well acquainted with the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) project. Mr Chan's rich experience in administrative management and public services, as well as his extensive business network, will enable him to lead the WKCDA in developing the WKCD into a cultural tourism landmark earning worldwide acclaim, elevating the stature of Hong Kong on the international cultural landscape stage. Mr Jat has been actively providing valuable insights and contributions to various aspects of the WKCDA's work since joining the Board in 2022. I believe that Mr Jat could drive the continuous development of the WKCD. I also welcome Dr Chan to join and add new momentum to the Board."

Miss Law expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Mr Tang for his tremendous contributions to the development of the WKCD over the years. "Mr Tang had served as Chairman of the Board in different capacities. Under his adept leadership, the WKCD has achieved many important milestones. During his tenure, various world-class arts and cultural facilities in the WKCD have been completed and commissioned, including the Xiqu Centre, Freespace, M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The WKCDA has also successfully brought exhibitions and stage productions to the Mainland and overseas, showcasing and enhancing Hong Kong's cultural soft power and consolidating its position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges," Miss Law said.

The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the Board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the WKCD.

The membership of the Board commencing October 1, 2025, will be as follows:

Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan (Chairman)

Mr Jat Sew-tong (Vice-Chairman)

Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har*

Mr Abraham Chan Lok-shung

Mr Vincent Cheng Wing-shun

Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping

Mr Kenneth Fok Kai-kong

Mr Andy Hei Kao-chiang

Mr Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng

Mr Leo Kung Lin-cheng

Mr Liu Che-ning

Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting

Dr Pang Yiu-kai

Mr Paulo Pong Kin-yee

Mr Anthony Wu Ting-yuk

Ms Catherine Yen Kai-shun

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism or alternate representative

Secretary for Development or alternate representative

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury or alternate representative

Chief Executive Officer, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (ex officio member)

(*new appointee)

Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving incoming passenger at airport

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (May 9) detected a drug trafficking case involving passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 2.25 kilograms of suspected heroin, four tablets of suspected Viagra and 26 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarette, with a total estimated market value of about $1.4 million. A man was arrested.

A 61-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of about 2.25 kg of suspected heroin in his check-in suitcase, and four tablets of suspected Viagra and 26 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarette in his carry-on backpack. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession of Part 1 poison, one count of possession of dutiable goods and one count of failing to declare to a member of the Customs and Excise Service the possession of dutiable goods. The case will bebrought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (May 11).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, any person who imports, possesses, sells or buys dutiable commodities without a valid licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving incoming passenger at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving incoming passenger at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases