KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism secretary Kevin Yeung has come under fire from social media users for staking a claim on newly crowned Golden Globe Best Actress-Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh as the island state’s actor.
Yeung congratulated the 60-year-old Malaysian via a statement following her win for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Describing Yeoh as a Hong Kong actor, Yeung said the award was well deserved, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
“Michelle Yeoh first made a name in the Hong Kong film sector, then moved on to the international stage with her exceptionally outstanding acting skills and hard work.
“We are really empowered by the fact that Hong Kong actors have continued to shine in the global film industry,” read Yeung’s statement.
This led to a flurry of comments on social media where users lambasted Yeung for making the claim.
Among the comments made by social media users were Yeung might have mistaken Malaysia as becoming part of China.
Another asked whether knowing how to speak Cantonese makes that person a Hong Kong national, udn.com reported.
One even criticised Yeung for failing to do his homework and yet he is the Secretary.
Yeoh rose to fame performing her own stunts in Hong Kong movies such as Yes, Madam and Policy Story 3: Supercop before going on to star alongside Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
The Ipoh-born also starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a 2000 film which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, and the Best Narrative Feature at the 37th Golden Horse Awards as well as 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians.
