Friends of Mr Tung, who is an avowed fan of Singapore's patriarch, Lee Kuan Yew, argue that Hong Kong should, like Singapore, mix prosperity with that city-state's sterile politics.
His job keeps him in Taipei or on the road most days, but he stays in contact with Kuan-Shu's director, Hong, and gets updates from his wife, who meets with Hong weekly.
Unconfirmed reports in Hong Kong quoted Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew as jokingly telling the government to do everything it could to secure the contract, "even if we have to raze the Istana" - the presidential palace in the heart of the city.