Yuet Keung Kan
Encyclopedia
Sir Yuet-keung Kan, GBE, Kt
, JP is a retired Hong Kong
banker, politician
and lawyer
who was successively appointed Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council
and Executive Council
in the 1960s
and 1970s
. He also served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
for 20 years.
to a wealthy family which is descended from Shunde
, Canton
. He has thirteen siblings and he ranked fourth amongst them. His father, Tong-po Kan, JP (簡東浦), was one of the founders of the Bank of East Asia
. His youngest brother, Professor Yuet-Wai Kan
(簡悅威), is a notable American
physician
who was awarded the Shaw Prize
in Life Science and Medicine
in 2004.
Kan studied in Diocesan Boys' School
in his early years. Upon graduation, he wished to be a doctor
but gave up the idea when his family opposed it. He was enrolled to the University of Hong Kong and resided in Morrison Hall. He graduated from the University in 1934 and obtained a BA
degree. As an alumnus of the Morrison Hall, he once recalled that "Morrisonians have always had such wonderful team spirit!"
He then moved to the United Kingdom
for further study and read law
in the London School of Economics
. He worked briefly in a firm in England
after graduation and returned to Hong Kong
in 1938, where he became a practicing solicitor
.
and banking in Hong Kong. He once worked as a senior partner of the famous local law firm
, Lo & Lo, and was successively served as the chairman of the Law Society of Hong Kong and a member of the Society's disciplinary committee. He was also director of Hong Kong Land and Harbour Centre Development Limited for some time. Besides, Kan had taken over his family banking business, and served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
from 1963 to 1983.
From 1970 to 1975, he was appointed as the chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
for the first time. During his tenure, the Council expanded rapidly and had set up new offices in Frankfurt
, Vienna
, Tokyo
, Amsterdam
and etc. In 1973, the Council participated in the New York
's International Toy Fair for the first time. Kan left the Council in 1975 but was re-appointed in 1979. In his second tenure, he kept on visiting different countries and promoting trading benefits of Hong Kong. On the other hand, the Council tied up closer relationship with Japan
by setting up a new office in Osaka
in 1979 and establishing an Economic Cooperation Committee with the Japanese government. In 1980, he also led a business tour to visit Canton
. Kan finally retired from the Council in 1983.
from July 1959 to June 1961. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1959 Queen's Birthday Honours
. He left the Urban Council in 1961 and became an unofficial member of the Legislative Council
. He later also became the chairman of the government's Transport Advisory Committee.
During his chairmanship of the Transport Advisory Committee in 1966, the Star Ferry
applied for an increase of the first class
fare of the cross-Victoria Harbour
ferry
from 20-cent to 25-cent and the application was soon approved by the Advisory Committee. The fare increase did not include the third class and therefore the grass roots community was largely unaffected, since the passengers of the first class deck were usually from the wealthier sector of the society. However, when the fare increase was announced by the government, it resulted in a general dissidence from the grass roots community as the Star Ferry was the only major cross-harbour public transportation at that time. The chairman of Star Ferry, M. A. R. Herries, worsened the situation when he publicly commented that "people who do not want to pay the first class fare can simply change their mind to the third class deck". That statement made a public outcry and was one of the blasting fuses of the Kowloon Riots
afterwards.
Apart from his membership in the Legislative Council, he was additionally appointed as an unofficial member of the Executive Council
by then governor
Sir David Trench in 1966. As the Cultural Revolution
had just commenced, the political situations of both Hong Kong and mainland China
became increasingly unstable. In 1967, the turbulence from the mainland finally spilled over to Hong Kong, resulting in the disastrous Leftist Riots which began as a labour dispute in an artificial flower
factory in San Po Kong
.
During the nearly year-long Leftist Riots, Kan held a hard line towards the rioters. He made a keynote speech in the Legislative Council, insisting those bombers be brought to justice. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours.
After the riot, Kan was further promoted to the status of the senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council in 1968. Since then, he started holding a variety of public posts including the chairmanships or the memberships of the School Medical Service Board, Public Service Commission
, Soical Welfare Advisory Committee, the Legislative Council's Finance Committee and etc.
Kan was knighted
in the 1972 New Year Honours
, and travelled to Buckingham Palace
to receive the accolade in July. He retired from the Legislative Council in the same year, but he continued to serve on the Executive Council. In 1974, he was appointed senior unofficial member of the Executive Council. Soon afterwards, the price of rice
in Hong Kong rose drastically and it resulted in a general inflation
. In order to solve the problem, the government appointed Sir Yuet Keung as the first ever chairman of the Consumer Council in the history of Hong Kong
. In 1978, there was a strike started by local civil servants. He was called to hold talks with the strikers and successfully reconciled the dispute. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time in 1977, Sir Yuet Keung, in his capacity as the senior unofficial member of the Executive Council, delivered the welcome speech to the Queen in the City Hall
.
In March 1979, Sir Yuet Keung accompanied then-governor Sir Murray MacLehose to pay a secret visit to Beijing
, where both of them had a meeting with Deng Xiaoping
. Knowing that the Communist China
insisted on obtaining Hong Kong by 1997 and the British Government intended to give up over the issue of sovereignty, Sir Yuet Keung felt the future of Hong Kong was less assured. After the visit, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE), and retired from the Executive Council in 1980, choosing to fade out from the politics of Hong Kong
.
in 1983. He was the chairman of the Council of the Chinese University from 1973 to 1983, and from 1983 to 1996, he was the Pro-Chancellor
of the Chinese University.
As of 2008, Sir Yuet Keung is 95 years old. He still lives in Hong Kong but has almost withdrawn from public life.
in Hong Kong. Kan's interests include swimming, golf
and tennis
.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, JP is a retired Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
banker, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who was successively appointed Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
and Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
in the 1960s
1960s in Hong Kong
1960s in Hong Kong continued with the development and expansion of manufacturing that began in the previous decade. The economic progress made in the period would categorise Hong Kong as one of Four Asian Tigers along with Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.-Background:Economically, this era is...
and 1970s
1970s in Hong Kong
1970s in Hong Kong underwent many changes that shaped its future. Economically, it reinvented itself from a manufacturing base into a financial centre. The market also began leaning toward corporations and franchises.-Background:...
. He also served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
Bank of East Asia
The Bank of East Asia Limited often abbreviated to BEA, is the largest independent local bank and the third largest bank in Hong Kong. Its chairman and chief executive is Sir David Li...
for 20 years.
Early years
Kan was born on 26 July 1913 in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to a wealthy family which is descended from Shunde
Shunde
Shunde District is a district of Foshan prefecture-level city in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong Province, southeast China.-Administration:Shunde was a county-level city until December 8, 2002, when it became a district of Foshan prefecture-level city...
, Canton
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. He has thirteen siblings and he ranked fourth amongst them. His father, Tong-po Kan, JP (簡東浦), was one of the founders of the Bank of East Asia
Bank of East Asia
The Bank of East Asia Limited often abbreviated to BEA, is the largest independent local bank and the third largest bank in Hong Kong. Its chairman and chief executive is Sir David Li...
. His youngest brother, Professor Yuet-Wai Kan
Yuet Wai Kan
Yuet Wai Kan FRS , is a Canadian and American medical scientist and physician. He is the current Louis K. Diamond Professor of Hematology and the head of the Division of Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics at the University of California, San Francisco...
(簡悅威), is a notable American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who was awarded the Shaw Prize
Shaw Prize
The Shaw Prize is an annual award first presented by the Shaw Prize Foundation in 2004. Established in 2002 in Hong Kong, it honours living "individuals, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or...
in Life Science and Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in 2004.
Kan studied in Diocesan Boys' School
Diocesan Boys' School
Diocesan Boys' School is a boys' school located at 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1869, making it one of the oldest secondary schools in Hong Kong....
in his early years. Upon graduation, he wished to be a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
but gave up the idea when his family opposed it. He was enrolled to the University of Hong Kong and resided in Morrison Hall. He graduated from the University in 1934 and obtained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. As an alumnus of the Morrison Hall, he once recalled that "Morrisonians have always had such wonderful team spirit!"
He then moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for further study and read law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He worked briefly in a firm in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
after graduation and returned to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1938, where he became a practicing solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
.
Business career
Kan had a fast growing career in law, businessBusiness
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and banking in Hong Kong. He once worked as a senior partner of the famous local law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
, Lo & Lo, and was successively served as the chairman of the Law Society of Hong Kong and a member of the Society's disciplinary committee. He was also director of Hong Kong Land and Harbour Centre Development Limited for some time. Besides, Kan had taken over his family banking business, and served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
Bank of East Asia
The Bank of East Asia Limited often abbreviated to BEA, is the largest independent local bank and the third largest bank in Hong Kong. Its chairman and chief executive is Sir David Li...
from 1963 to 1983.
From 1970 to 1975, he was appointed as the chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based manufacturers, traders and service providers. Established in 1966, it has more than 40 offices around the world, including 11 in the Chinese mainland, promoting Hong Kong as a platform for doing business...
for the first time. During his tenure, the Council expanded rapidly and had set up new offices in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and etc. In 1973, the Council participated in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's International Toy Fair for the first time. Kan left the Council in 1975 but was re-appointed in 1979. In his second tenure, he kept on visiting different countries and promoting trading benefits of Hong Kong. On the other hand, the Council tied up closer relationship with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by setting up a new office in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in 1979 and establishing an Economic Cooperation Committee with the Japanese government. In 1980, he also led a business tour to visit Canton
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. Kan finally retired from the Council in 1983.
Public service
As early as 1957, Kan was appointed as a councilor of the Urban Council and served as a member of the government's Public Service CommissionCivil Service Commission
-Chairmen:*John Houghton MHK, 2004-date*George Waft MLC, 1996-2004*Clare Christian MLC, 1981-1982*Noel Cringle MLC, 1992-1996*Walter Gilbey, years unknown...
from July 1959 to June 1961. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1959 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
. He left the Urban Council in 1961 and became an unofficial member of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
. He later also became the chairman of the government's Transport Advisory Committee.
Star Ferry
The Star Ferry, or The "Star" Ferry Company, is a passenger ferry service operator in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon...
applied for an increase of the first class
First class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
fare of the cross-Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from 20-cent to 25-cent and the application was soon approved by the Advisory Committee. The fare increase did not include the third class and therefore the grass roots community was largely unaffected, since the passengers of the first class deck were usually from the wealthier sector of the society. However, when the fare increase was announced by the government, it resulted in a general dissidence from the grass roots community as the Star Ferry was the only major cross-harbour public transportation at that time. The chairman of Star Ferry, M. A. R. Herries, worsened the situation when he publicly commented that "people who do not want to pay the first class fare can simply change their mind to the third class deck". That statement made a public outcry and was one of the blasting fuses of the Kowloon Riots
Hong Kong 1966 riots
The Hong Kong 1966 Riots was a series of disturbances that took place over three nights on the streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong in the spring of 1966...
afterwards.
Apart from his membership in the Legislative Council, he was additionally appointed as an unofficial member of the Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
by then governor
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
Sir David Trench in 1966. As the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
had just commenced, the political situations of both Hong Kong and mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
became increasingly unstable. In 1967, the turbulence from the mainland finally spilled over to Hong Kong, resulting in the disastrous Leftist Riots which began as a labour dispute in an artificial flower
Artificial flower
Artificial flowers are imitations of natural flowering plants, used for commercial or residential decoration. They are sometimes made for scientific purposes .Materials used in their manufacture have included painted linen and shavings of stained horn in Egypt, gold and...
factory in San Po Kong
San Po Kong
San Po Kong is an area in New Kowloon in Hong Kong. South of Wong Tai Sin and Diamond Hill, and north of the former Kai Tak International Airport, the area is bounded by Choi Hung Road and Prince Edward Road. San Po Kong is largely industrial and partly residential. Administratively, it belongs...
.
During the nearly year-long Leftist Riots, Kan held a hard line towards the rioters. He made a keynote speech in the Legislative Council, insisting those bombers be brought to justice. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours.
After the riot, Kan was further promoted to the status of the senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council in 1968. Since then, he started holding a variety of public posts including the chairmanships or the memberships of the School Medical Service Board, Public Service Commission
Civil Service Commission
-Chairmen:*John Houghton MHK, 2004-date*George Waft MLC, 1996-2004*Clare Christian MLC, 1981-1982*Noel Cringle MLC, 1992-1996*Walter Gilbey, years unknown...
, Soical Welfare Advisory Committee, the Legislative Council's Finance Committee and etc.
Kan was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1972 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, and travelled to Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
to receive the accolade in July. He retired from the Legislative Council in the same year, but he continued to serve on the Executive Council. In 1974, he was appointed senior unofficial member of the Executive Council. Soon afterwards, the price of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
in Hong Kong rose drastically and it resulted in a general inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
. In order to solve the problem, the government appointed Sir Yuet Keung as the first ever chairman of the Consumer Council in the history of Hong Kong
History of Hong Kong
Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located off the southern coast of China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region with archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regular written records were not made...
. In 1978, there was a strike started by local civil servants. He was called to hold talks with the strikers and successfully reconciled the dispute. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong for the first time in 1977, Sir Yuet Keung, in his capacity as the senior unofficial member of the Executive Council, delivered the welcome speech to the Queen in the City Hall
City Hall, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong City Hall is a building located at Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.Since Hong Kong does not designate itself or any part of itself as a city, there is no mayor or city council; therefore, the City Hall does not hold the offices of a city government, unlike most...
.
In March 1979, Sir Yuet Keung accompanied then-governor Sir Murray MacLehose to pay a secret visit to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, where both of them had a meeting with Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
. Knowing that the Communist China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
insisted on obtaining Hong Kong by 1997 and the British Government intended to give up over the issue of sovereignty, Sir Yuet Keung felt the future of Hong Kong was less assured. After the visit, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE), and retired from the Executive Council in 1980, choosing to fade out from the politics of Hong Kong
Politics of Hong Kong
Politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by its constitutional document, the Basic Law of Hong Kong, its own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
.
Later years
Kan was appointed life member of Court of the University of Hong Kong in 1972, he was also appointed life member of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong KongChinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
in 1983. He was the chairman of the Council of the Chinese University from 1973 to 1983, and from 1983 to 1996, he was the Pro-Chancellor
Pro-Chancellor
A Pro-Chancellor is an officer of some universities in Commonwealth countries. The Pro-Chancellor acts as a deputy to the Chancellor and as practical chairman of the University Council...
of the Chinese University.
As of 2008, Sir Yuet Keung is 95 years old. He still lives in Hong Kong but has almost withdrawn from public life.
Family
Kan married his wife Ida in 1940. They have two sons and a daughter. One of their sons, Philip Sung-chee Kan (簡崇知), is a practicing lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Hong Kong. Kan's interests include swimming, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
Orders
- JP (21 January 1949)
- OBE (1959)
- CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(1967) - Knight BachelorKnight BachelorThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
(1972) - GBE (1979)
- Order of the Sacred TreasureOrder of the Sacred TreasureThe is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 3rd class (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) - Officier de l'Ordre national du MériteOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 1978) - Officer's Cross, Order of Merit 1st classBundesverdienstkreuzThe Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 1983) - Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...
in Gold with Star (1983) - Order of the Sacred TreasureOrder of the Sacred TreasureThe is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 2nd class (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 1983) - Knight Grand Cross, Royal Order of Northern Pole Star (SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, 1983)
Honorary Degrees
- Honorary Doctorates of Law
- Chinese University of Hong KongChinese University of Hong KongThe Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
(1968) - University of Hong Kong, (1973)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Honorary Fellowships
- London School of EconomicsLondon School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
(1980)
- London School of Economics
Other Public Posts Held
- Member of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1963–1967)
- Chairman of the Chung Chi College Board of Trustees (1964–1968)
- Chairman of the Council of the Chinese University (1971–1983)
- Life member of Court of the University of Hong Kong (appointed on 1 February 1972)
- Life member of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (appointed in 1983)
- Pro-Chancellor of the Chinese University (1983–1996)
External links
- Supertrader, Hong Kong 40 years of Trade
- Kan, The Hon. Sir Yuet-keung, address from the University of Hong Kong