HONG KONG • TVB actor Kenneth Ma said he does not care whether he and former girlfriend Jacqueline Wong can meet again, now that she is back in Hong Kong.

Wong, 30, who was caught in a kissing scandal with married singer Andy Hui, 52, in April last year, fled to the United States before she came back on Dec 14.

There has been talk that she is trying to patch things up with Ma, 45, even as she hopes to resuscitate her career, with TVB saying it would talk to her after Christmas.

According to the On.cc portal, Ma said he had had no opportunity to meet her yet.

But he did send her Christmas greetings and insisted that, even if they did not meet, it did not mean that they are enemies.

"We are still friends," he said, adding that they do not hate each other.

TVB has been testing the waters by screening shows featuring Wong in recent months, with Handmaidens United currently airing.

Ma said viewers should not boycott shows involving Wong since she is only a part of a production that involves so many other talents, from cameramen to actors and make-up artists.

He added that he was not privy to matters concerning Wong's TV comeback, saying that he would support - as a friend - whatever decisions she took.

While she has to restart again, his own career is buoyant, with pundits thinking that he could win the TV King award this year.

The TVB Anniversary Awards will be held tomorrow.

But Ma said other actors like Joel Chan and Roger Kwok are also highly tipped to triumph.

Still, Ma goes into the battle with a big boost from a Singapore event.

In November last year, at StarHub Night Of Stars, he won the Best TVB Male Artist accolade for his role in acclaimed hit Big White Duel.

Wong, meanwhile, is tackling the challenges this year with a new hairstyle that has won approval, and also brickbats, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Her detractors told her not to be naive and think that a new image would make people forget what she had done.