Maria Tam
| Maria Tam Wai-chu | |
|---|---|
| 譚惠珠 | |
 |
|
| Deputy of Hong Kong to National People's Congress | |
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Assumed office 8 December 1997 9th National People's Congress 10th National People's Congress 11th National People's Congress |
|
| Congress chairman |
Li Peng Wu Bangguo Zhang Dejiang |
| Unofficial Member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong | |
|
In office 1 September 1983 – 31 October 1991 |
|
| Appointed by | Sir Edward Youde Sir David Wilson |
| Preceded by | Henry Fang |
| Succeeded by | Selina Chow |
| Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong | |
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In office 1 September 1981 – 22 August 1991 |
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| Appointed by | Sir Murray MacLehose Sir Edward Youde Sir David Wilson |
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In office 21 December 1996 – 27 June 1997 (Provisional Legislative Council) |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 November 1945 Hong Kong |
| Political party |
LDF (1990–97) HKPA (1997–2005) DAB (2005–15) |
| Other political affiliations |
PHKS (1985–90s) |
| Alma mater |
St. Paul's Co-educational College University of London Gray’s Inn |
| Occupation | Barrister |
| Maria Tam | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 譚惠珠 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Yale Romanization | Tàahm Waih jyū |
| Jyutping | Taam4 Wai6 zyu1 |
Maria Tam Wai-chu CBE GBM GBS JP (Traditional Chinese: 譚惠珠) is a barrister by profession and a politician of Hong Kong. Maria Tam grew up in Hong Kong, and her ancestral hometown is Zhongshan CIty, mainland China.
Tam entered into politics when she ran in the 1979 Urban Council election as the advocate for women's rights. In the 1980s she was a member of four different levels councils in Hong Kong, namely the Executive and Legislative Councils, the Urban Council and the Central and Western District Board. During her office in the colonial government, she witnessed the Sino-British negotiations on the political status of Hong Kong after 1997 and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. She was appointed to many positions by Beijing during the transition period, such as member of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (PRC) and Hong Kong Affairs Advisor (PRC).
She is also a former chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee during colonial rule, but she became tainted upon revelations that she had failed to declare her family investment in taxi businesses in the territory whilst she held the post.
Tam was co-opted into the colonial government and "quickly became one of its most loyal mouthpieces". Before the handover of Hong Kong, she helped to form a less than successful pro-Beijing party and was "among a group of prominent turncoats that switched from being cheerleaders for the colonial regime to supporters of the new order."
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Wikipedia