Jackie Chan (成龍) has been elected as the new President of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, a non-profit labor association representing local artists, singers, and stage performers. Since Eric Tsang (曾志偉) stepped down as President of the Guild last October, the position remained vacant for many months. Anthony Wong (黃秋生) was interested in running for President, but crossed Secretary Astrid Chan (陳芷菁) when he became intolerant of the member application and approval process. The fiasco drew criticism against Anthony’s qualifications, as he was unable to resolve a simple problem in grace. He also expressed frustration that he was no longer interested in leading the Guild, and even spoke about removing Astrid from her position since she was not a “people person”. Despite this, Eric thanked Anthony for his suggestions and encouraged him to run again next year. Jackie has previously served as President of the Guild and was elected again due to his prestige and influence within the industry. However, his busy filming schedule and international promotional tours caused many to worry whether this will only be a figurative title for him. Jackie’s limited availability may make it difficult to lead and fulfill responsibilities for the Guild. Despite Jackie’s absence yesterday at the Guild’s press conference, Eric defended the new President. “A lot of old friends were worried about what happened last time. People such as Alan Tam (譚詠麟), Jacky Cheung (張學友), and Jackie have already been President. Everyone is concerned about the Guild and offer a variety of opinions, but in the end, we believe that Jackie was the best fit for the role. I’ve asked Andy Lau (劉德華), and Jacky Cheung, and they think this is good too. Even though people’s opinions differ, we think Jackie is the best choice. Jackie doesn’t reside in Hong Kong often, so he needs a strong team to support him.” Creds: ihktv
