Ex-Chief Secretary Rafael Hui dies at 77. A look back at his storied career

Former Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui died of illness on Sunday afternoon at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital at the age of 77.

Here's a look at the career civil servant's storied life -- marked by defining moments of public service but also controversies.

Born in Hong Kong in 1948, Rafael Hui graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree before joining the civil service.

Early in his career, he was seconded to the Independent Commission Against Corruption before rising through the ranks.

In the 1990s, Hui served as Commissioner for Transport.

Following the 1997 handover, Hui became one of the first principal officials of the SAR.

Among the highlights of his career, during the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis, Hui being the Secretary for Financial Services at the time, alongside then Financial Secretary Donald Tsang and then Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Joseph Yam, reached a consensus to take the unprecedented step of deploying more than 100 million dollars in foreign exchange reserves -- in a decisive intervention in the stock market.

The move successfully fended off speculative attacks.

The shares purchased were later divested through the creation of the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong.

Hui left the government in 2000 to become Executive Director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority before returning to public office in 2005 as Chief Secretary for Administration -- the second-highest-ranking official in the SAR government.

He described himself at the time as a veteran but also a newcomer, acknowledging that the politically accountable role marked a new challenge in his career.

During his two-year tenure, Hui focused on constitutional development and the West Kowloon Cultural District project.

Public scrutiny later intensified over Hui's ties to Sun Hung Kai Properties.

Before rejoining the government,Hui had served as a consultant to the property giant and as a director of bus company KMB in which SHK held shares.

In March 2012, Hui was charged by the ICAC for his role in a high-profile corruption case involving senior Sun Hung Kai Properties executives.

He was convicted by the High Court and sentenced to seven and a half years behind bars. His appeal to the Court of Final Appeal was later dismissed.

Hui was released in 2019 and largely withdrew from public life thereafter.