Hong Kong political heavyweights trade barbs after lawmaker filmed driving against flow of traffic

2026-01-28 - 06:12

Hong Kong politician Regina Ip has engaged in a fiery text message exchange with a veteran of the city’s biggest political party after a lawmaker from Ip’s own party was filmed driving against the flow of traffic last week. Regina Ip. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Judy Chan, a lawmaker from Ip’s pro-Beijing New People’s Party, was caught on camera driving against traffic on Jaffe Road in Wan Chai on Friday. She apologised for the incident on social media that night, saying she had made “a wrong judgement” while driving. Chan also provided a statement to police on Saturday and vowed to improve her driving attitude and refrain from driving “in the short run.” Police are investigating the incident. Local media reported on Tuesday that Ip, the convenor of the Executive Council, Hong Kong’s top political advisory body, and Choy So-yuk, a former lawmaker from the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), had traded barbs over Chan’s driving in a WhatsApp group for political veterans in the Eastern district. The reports said Choy had forwarded a number of messages to the group. The messages referred to Ip’s comments on a 2022 scandal involving then-secretary for home affairs Caspar Tsui, who resigned after attending a birthday party that was suspected to have violated Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. ‘Revenge’ At the time, Ip said Tsui’s resignation was a “relatively proper” response as high-ranking officials should lead by example. The messages forwarded by Choy, however, suggested Ip harboured double standards in her handling of Chan’s traffic incident. According to screenshots published by Ming Pao on Wednesday, Ip responded to the forwarded messages with a string of fiery remarks. “It really depends on the nature of the offence. Are you trying to use Judy Chan’s traffic offence to get your revenge? Maybe the LegCo President from your party will comply with your demand,” Ip wrote, referring to Starry Lee, a DAB heavyweight, who has recently assumed the role of president of the Legislative Council (LegCo). A screen grab of a viral video showing Hong Kong lawmaker Judy Chan driving against the flow of traffic in Wan Chai on January 23, 2026. Photo: Screenshot, via YouTube. In two Chinese-language messages minutes later, Ip questioned whether Choy and other critics of Chan had committed traffic offences themselves. “Some behaviours that breach traffic regulations are not considered criminal in many countries, is that clear?” Ip wrote. Ip then named Choy in full and suggested again that she was exacting revenge, urging her to seek LegCo President Lee’s intervention to oust Chan. In response, Choy wrote in Chinese that she was “deeply unsettled” to see such a “lecture” from Ip, whom she described as “high-ranking and powerful.” Choy said she had always supported Chan and retorted: “Are you perceiving anyone who forwards messages (as I am only forwarding others’ opinions) critical of you, or your party, as your enemy?” New People Party’s Judy Chan (left) and Regina Ip campaigning in Mid-Levels on December 7, 2025. Photo: New People’s Party, via Facebook. A viral clip online showed Chan was driving against the flow of traffic last Friday, facing two fire engines head-on. Chan told a radio programme on Saturday that she was being impatient at the time of the alleged offence, had need to attend a meeting, and made a “rash decision.” LegCo President Lee told media that the supervisory committee, which oversees lawmaker conduct, will not comment or investigate the incident at this stage due to an ongoing police investigation.