Remarks by SHYA at media session
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (April 11):
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, Photo by Bastille Post
Reporter: On the owners' petition regarding the Wang Fuk Court situation, could you give us the latest update and do we know how many cases were suspected to contain forged signatures?
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: Regarding the allegation of forged signatures, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) has already received several complaints from the residents. Some residents have even reported the case to the Police and the HAD has already referred the case to the law enforcement body and the statutory bodies for further investigation. I'm sure that the law enforcement body and the statutory bodies will carry out thorough investigation.
Reporter: You also mentioned the amendment of the Building Management Ordinance. You said that the Government is planning to hold a briefing before an annual meeting among the homeowners to let them have sufficient time to know more about the details. Could you elaborate more on this and the possibility of using technologies to encourage homeowners to participate in the owners' meeting? What are the Government's considerations?
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: We have introduced our five major directions in amending the Building Management Ordinance. One of the directions is to enhance the transparency and to let the owners have more information on the maintenance and repair works that will be carried out. In the current practice, owners' committees can organise or hold briefing sessions for the owners before the EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) or AGM (Annual General Meeting) at their discretion. It's more voluntary. But from our experience, if there are briefing sessions held before the EGM or AGM, owners will have more information about the works that will be carried out, and that will encourage owners to attend the EGM or AGM, and to make sensible and reasonable decisions for their buildings. That's why one of our directions and proposals for amending the Building Management Ordinance is to require all the owners' committees to organise briefing sessions for owners before the EGM or AGM, so that owners will have more information and can make sensible and reasonable decisions at the EGM and AGM. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Pos
