Natalis Chan Suspected To Be Receiving Preferential Treatment From Police After Allegedly Breaking Safe Distancing Rules

On December 31 last year, Hongkong media outlet ran a report accusing Hongkong actor Natalis Chan of breaking safe distancing rules.

According to the story, the 70-year-old and his wife, Cecilia Wong, sailed out to a private island off the coast of Sai Kung, where they indulged in a four-hour-long meal with 12 other friends at a private dining establishment on Christmas Eve last year.

When reached for a comment, however, Natalis explained that he had “gone to a friend’s house for a visit”.

Once the report was published, a large number of netizens immediately took to the comments section to vilify Natalis and his friends for their socially-irresponsible ways. However, it appears that the authorities have yet to take any public action against the actor and his friends.

In contrast, when former Legislative Councillor Tanya Chan was reported to have breached safe distancing rules in April last year, the police promptly sent officers down to the venue to conduct an investigation.

Netizens then began speculating that the police might be unwilling to investigate Natalis for his alleged breach, as the actor is a staunch supporter of the police force. Natalis was also awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star award last year for "his contribution to promoting social harmony and communication”.

To date, some 5,000 netizens have signed a petition demanding a full-fledged investigation into the actor’s alleged offence. The police force have also replied to media queries regarding Natalis’s actions, sharing that they “are aware of these reports”, and that they’ve “forwarded the case to the relevant government departments”.