Mr Louis Mak Law Mo

Chairman Yang, University Council Members, President Tong and Honoured Guests,

I am most delighted to be here today to receive this prestigious Fellowship. This is truly an incredible thing to have happened to me. It is not only an honour that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University confers on me but also an endorsement of two of my long-held convictions.

First, it is on homage to the elderly. About thirty years ago, I began to distribute red pockets to the elderly in our community. Since 2001, I have been organizing dinners for some 1,000 senior citizens every year. Enthusiastic support from our preparatory committee and volunteers has helped make the dinners a popular and celebrated event with wonderful programmes, gifts and red pockets for everyone.

The second relates to our contribution to society. Some billionaires in the United States have pledged to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. I am not a wealthy man but I make the best use of my capabilities and after my semi-retirement I have learned to paint, and have donated the revenue from the sale of my paintings to charity. It is with some luck that I have been able to sell a number of my works via the auction house Christie's and have funded cataract surgery for 300 elderly people in the Chinese mainland last year.

The honour I receive today will no doubt give added impetus to my convictions and my efforts in making further contribution to philanthropic causes in the days ahead. Thank you very much!

Mr Victor Cha Mou Zing

Ms Fiona Cheung Sum Yu, MH

Ms Katherine Hung Siu Lin

Mr Freeman Lau Siu Hong, BBS

Mr Liu Sing Cheong, JP

Professor Liu Yingli

Mr Louis Mak Law Mo

Mr Yau Wah Yau

(in alphabetical order by name)