People who worked closely with Tung praise him as ‘kind-hearted’, ‘exceptionally hard-working’ and inspired others to take up public office.

Tung, who resigned as city leader in 2005 on health grounds, had not been seen in public since July 2021.

Tung was praised for his work, but clumsy political skills and perceived indecisiveness as major crises mounted eroded his popularity and led to the nickname “Old Dumb Tung.”