Haider Hatim Tyebjee Barma
GBS,
ISO, JP
(born 1944)
served as Hong Kong's
Secretary for Transport
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics () in Hong Kong is responsible for transport and logistics related issues. The position was created in 2022 to replace the previous position of Secretary for the Transport and Housing. The position of S ...
from 1993 until 1996.
He was born as a third generation Hong Konger, educated in
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
, and is of Indian ancestry.
He speaks Cantonese at a fluent level. He had Hong Kong nationality and as of 1996 never acquired any other.
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
(AFP) stated he had the nationality of Pakistan.
He received a BA with honours from the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...
, a CBA from the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
, and an M. Phil from the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
[
]
Career
He started as an executive officer in the Hong Kong Civil Service in March 1966. In August that year his rank increased to administrative officer. He was appointed Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service in 1968. In 1988 he became the Director of Regional Services, and in 1991 he became Director of Urban Services.[
He took his transport secretary post in 1993, replacing ]Yeung Kai-yin
Yeung Kai-yin, GBS, CBE, JP(; 6 January 1941 - 8 February 2007) is a Chinese civil servant and businessman in Hong Kong.
Career
In 1962, Yeung joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer. In 1989, Yeung became the Secretary ...
.[ This made him the person in the Hong Kong civil service in the highest rank who was not ethnic Chinese nor of origins from Western countries.][ AFP stated that he was "popular" in that role.][
On 9 January 1996 he resigned from his position because, due to the ]Handover of Hong Kong
Sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the China, People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the British Hong Kong, former colony. Hong Kong was establ ...
, the government would not allow non-ethnic Chinese to retain high government posts as per the Hong Kong Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 ...
.[ Barma stated "One has got to be pragmatic. I am not Chinese, and one has to accept the reality of historical developments."]Himal Southasian
''Himal Southasian'' (stylised as HIMĀL Southasian) is a news magazine, which covers politics and culture in South Asia. Having closed its publication from Kathmandu in November 2016, the magazine resumed publication in April 2018 from Colombo, S ...
'' stated that his resignation signaled to Indians in Hong Kong
South Asians are part of the Hong Kong society. As of the 2016 by-census, there were at least 44,744 persons of South Asian descent in Hong Kong. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when India was still under British colonial rule ...
that their future in the territory may be tenuous.[
]
Post-career
He took another position not reserved for ethnic Chinese, as the Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson.[ He took the PSC position effective 1 August 1996.][
He was appointed as a non-official justice of the peace on 13 June 1997.][
]
References
External links
*
20th-century Hong Kong people
21st-century Hong Kong people
Hong Kong people of Indian descent
Hong Kong civil servants
Living people
1944 births
{{Hong Kong-stub