Chief Executive Donald Tsang said seeking a re-election while serving his current term was not an advantage as suggested by critics, but a burden on him.

Tsang had used a government car to visit his election office in Wan Chai on Monday, causing concern whether he had misused public resources.

Speaking in an interview with Cable TV, Tsang said the advantages regarded by others were actually his burden.

"Some people might think that I am taking the advantages of public resources by going to the election office in a government car. This is a big burden on me," he said.

"But I have no other alternative and I don't care much about it. I will explain the matter to Hong Kong people and I believe they are rational," he added.

Tsang said the travel journey, fuel expenses and the driver's pay would be counted as election expenses, and taxpayers' interest would not be affected.

He pledged that he would distinguish clearly between government duties and election campaign.

"The use of telephone and mobiles will be divided into two groups," he said.

"I would prefer using the election office to handle government duties if unexpected things happen (when I'm there) and I need to handle them in the election office. I have no alternatives," he added.

Talking about the most memorable experience during his term, since he assumed the office in June 2005, Tsang said it was the Star Ferry incident.

He admitted that the government had not been paying enough attention to public sentiment, as many people regarded the old pier in Central as a symbol of collective memories.

Conservationists staged protests and hunger strikes when the pier was being demolished last month, which had turned into chaos when police removed the protesters from the pier construction site.

"The government had been ignorant over the past," he said.

"We have been working hard (for the project) over the past five years. But things (the opposition) had not happened until the very last minute. I was wondering what actually had happened at that time. What matters is not the happening of such things, but the fact that it causes public sentiment," he said.

He, however, said the demolition should proceed as the construction contract had already been approved.

Tsang also said he had learned the importance of putting down rationality when listening to public opinions during his term.