Renowned Hong Kong dentist Eugene Chan Kin-keung had his friends baffled when they learned he would take the plunge into politics and become a district councilor on top of his hectic work as a professional.
“They thought I should be doing something else given my age and profession,” recalls Chan, 60, who has been in private practice for more than three decades, and with a dozen public service accolades to his credit.
“I strongly disagree with them,” he told China Daily Hong Kong in an interview. “I want to be with Hong Kong in rebuilding and reconciling itself after the 2019 social unrest,” he said, stressing this is one of the best ways to achieve his goal — engaging with the community and helping out.
Chan, who was among 179 persons appointed by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to serve as members of the seventh-term district councils for four years from January 2024, recalls having helped a young girl who had suffered a fall by escorting her to hospital after contacting her parents.
“That’s something I might not have the courage to do if I weren’t a district councilor. This experience has enriched my life.” he said.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government mandates that district councilors set up an office within three months of taking up the role. Despite the common practice of choosing low-rent locations, Chan opened into his office in a Grade A commercial building.
The annual reimbursements for the operational expenses of district council members stand at HK$500,000 ($64,100), or about HK$40,000 monthly. Renting a top-grade commercial space exceeds this budget, forcing Chan to make up for the excess with his own salary.
Chan says he wants to pay more attention to residents who traditionally have distanced themselves from district councils, including the non-grassroots populace, particularly the middle class, as well as professionals, and business and financial practitioners, who make up the majority of residents in the Central and Western District, which he represents.
He also hopes to hear the voices of grassroots community members and hopes to facilitate this by having his office conveniently located near a subway station, making it easier for them to seek assistance whenever necessary.
Pursuing public service
Chan has made frequent visits to the district in the past year, distributing garbage bags to residents, handing out flowers on Mother’s Day, checking on the condition of the elderly living in tenement buildings, and offering education opportunities for local athletes. He also cares for Filipino domestic helpers gathering in Central on weekends and plans to organize singing contests to help them enhance their sense of happiness.
Reflecting on his one-year tenure as a district councilor, Chan says one of the biggest lessons he has learned is “to be humble”.
“I’ve worked with locals with whom I had not worked before, and I became aware of the unfavorable conditions they are in. I also realized I had been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad. I was born into a relatively privileged family, and life has been relatively smooth for me. This role has enlightened me that not everyone has the same advantages.” he said.
“Consequently, I’ve learned to be more appreciative, share more with others, encourage and help them whenever possible.”
Chan hails from a family with a strong dental background — his father being a seasoned dentist. After pursuing his dentistry studies in Australia, he returned to Hong Kong in 1988 to embark on his career. Following in his footsteps, Chan’s son has also chosen to pursue a profession in dentistry.
Chan was elected a council member of the Hong Kong Dental Association in 1999 with a high number of votes and became its president four years later. Currently, he also helms the Association of Hong Kong Professionals.
Hong Kong has been grappling with a persistent shortage of dental professionals in recent years, By December 2023, the city had just 2,876 registered dentists, with the local dentist-to-population ratio remaining at a low 0.37 per 1,000 people.
Currently, the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Dentistry is the only local institution offering undergraduate and master’s degree programs for dentistry training. Prince Philip Dental Hospital is also the only organization that provides a two-year higher diploma course dedicated to training dental hygienists.
Chan, who also heads the advisory committee for the Professional Diploma in Dental Hygiene at the Vocational Training Council, says the institution aims to introduce a professional diploma course to train dental hygienists early this year.
The VTC program would span 18 months, enabling students to graduate six months earlier than under the Prince Philip Dental Hospital program. In each cohort, it aims to educate 60 dental hygienists, with the first graduates expected in the summer of next year. The school also plans to establish a dental center at its Chai Wan campus, equipped with 30 dental chairs and slated to open in September 2025. The facility will serve as a platform for students to engage in internships and for the community to access dental scaling services.
As chairman of the advisory committee, Chan i’s in charge of the entire program — from designing the course curriculum to determining the teaching methods. He i’s also responsible for supervising the center’s creation, coordinating in personnel recruitment efforts, devising strategies for student recruitment, and organizing the setup of its facilities. “I believe this will help alleviate the scarcity of dental professionals in Hong Kong,” he sayssaid.
Chan’s contributions to the SAR have extended beyond dentistry to public service. He has held key positions , such as in the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Expert Group, as chairman of the Radio Television Hong Kong Board of Advisors, and asis a member of the Town Planning Board and Standing Committee on Narcotics Control.
Starting a new chapter
Chan stepped down as a member of the council of City University of Hong Kong last month. He has served as a member of the City University Board of Trustees since January 2019. Collaborating with other members, he has provided ideas, strategic direction, and counsel to guide the university’s development. He has been actively involved in community relations, human resources, graduate employment initiatives, and the institution’s charity fundraising efforts.
CityU has made significant strides in the past six years, having climbed in the global university rankings and secured the 10th spot in Asia in the QS Asian University Rankings 2025 — a notable improvement from its 21st position in 2019. CityU has forged partnerships with various tertiary educational institutions and was recognized as the world’s most international university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024. The university further expanded its reach by establishing a branch campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, in April the same year.
To Chan, what makes him feel most proud of CityU has been its unity and harmony, particularly during the tumultuous social unrest in 2019.
The key to maintaining stability at CityU, he believes, is the fact that “people there have no ulterior motive, except to do the job well.”
Chan’s dedication not only prevails within the university. He hopes to contribute to the whole of Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong is proud of its culture of hard work and humility. That’s its attitude. We must not lose confidence in ourselves. We just do it.” he said.
Contact the writer at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com
Chan Kin-keung
1980
Departure to Adelaide, Australia to continue secondary education at St. Paul’s Co-Educational College
1982
Graduation from Pembroke School, Adelaide, Australia
1998
Returned to Hong Kong and worked as a dentist
1999
Council member of the Hong Kong Dental Association
2002
Elected as president of the Australian Doctors and Dentists Association of Hong Kong
2003
President of the Hong Kong Dental Association
2004
Voted as one of Hong Kong’s “Ten Outstanding Young Persons”
Chairman of the Young Professionals Committee of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services
2011
Chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Professionals
Appointed nonofficial Justice of the Peace
2012
Appointed as convenor of the Overseas Working Group of Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee
2013
Appointed as a member of the Independent Police Complaints Committee. Appointed as a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee of Community Relations of ICAC
2014
Member of the Town Planning Board
2015
Elected vice-president of the Hong Kong Association for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China Ltd
Member of the Quality Education Fund
2016
Chairman of the RTHK Board of Advisors
Awarded Bronze Bauhinia Star in the HKSAR government’s Honours List for outstanding public service
2019
Member of the council of City University of Hong Kong
Director of the China Overseas Friendship Association
2020
Member of the Action Committee Against Narcotics
2021
Awarded Silver Bauhinia Star in the HKSAR government’s Honours List for outstanding public service
Hosted Straight Talk, the English current affairs program of Television Broadcasts
2022
Member of the Fight Crime Committee
2023
President of the advisory committee on Gifted Education
Executive director of the EC of Customs YES Takes Post
Member of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Expert Group
2024
Appointed council member for the Central and Western District
