Former lawmaker Ma defends HK$264,000 bonus to jailed ex-assistant
Former lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok said a HK$264,000 bonus to his ex-assistant Sze Chun-hing, jailed for unlawful sex with a minor, used no extra public funds. Ma called it a routine expense linked to Sze's voluntary 30 per cent pay cut after winning a district council seat.
Former lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok has defended a HK$264,000 bonus paid to his former assistant Sze Chun-hing, who was recently sentenced to two and a half years in prison for unlawful sex with a minor. In a statement on social media at noon on 10 November, Ma said the payment was a routine office expense tied to a voluntary pay cut Sze had taken.
The bonus, equivalent to six times Sze's monthly salary, drew fresh scrutiny after his conviction. Ma said Sze worked as his assistant for the four-year Legislative Council term, after several years of volunteering in arts and culture. Sze's monthly salary rose from HK$51,500 in 2022 to HK$52,530 in 2023, before he won a Yuen Long district seat in 2024, Ma noted.
Although there was no explicit rule requiring a pay cut after winning elected office, Ma said Sze agreed to cut his salary by about 30 per cent to HK$36,000, citing prudent use of public money. With Sze's workload unchanged and performance remaining strong, Ma said he adjusted Sze's salary to HK$44,000 under the earlier agreement in 2025.
The bonus, which Ma said reflected Sze's service and performance, still left Sze about HK$40,000 worse off than before his election. Ma further clarified that lawmakers' annual office expense reimbursements cover staff salaries, daily office costs and other eligible items on a reimbursement basis, stressing the bonus to Sze involved no additional public funds. Ma said he has long held his staff to strict standards on legal compliance and the use of public money.
It is reported that 30 outgoing lawmakers handed out about HK$9.4 million in bonuses or gratuities before leaving office, and Ma paid nearly HK$700,000 to five employees.