The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Wednesday resumed election forums under a somber tone following last week’s No 5 alarm blaze in Tai Po that claimed at least 159 lives.
The move was backed by local policy observers, who said it would assist relief efforts and help pinpoint and plug the city’s systemic safety loopholes.
The forums — now titled “Love and Cohesion” — restarted a day after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced Sunday’s Legislative Council polls would go ahead as planned, emphasizing the new lawmakers as essential “partners” in the government’s post-fire relief and reconstruction efforts.
The first forum to reopen on Wednesday morning featured candidates from the functional constituency for deputies to the National People’s Congress, the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and related national organizations.
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Later sessions on Wednesday heard from contenders representing the insurance, catering, and education sectors. The remaining four functional constituency forums are scheduled for Thursday. All four functional constituencies featured only two candidates.
The forum agenda was modified in response to the deadly fire, with cheerleading and sloganeering removed, while candidate-led discussions were added on immediate post-fire relief and the city’s long-term safety reform.
During the morning forum, incumbent Brave Chan Yung vowed to pursue revisions to Hong Kong’s building and fire safety laws to avert further tragedies. The other candidate, Rex Lai Tat-shing, singled out the key role of national organizations in mobilizing relief efforts, particularly in terms of coordinating responses from youth and retired professionals.
At the insurance sector forum, candidate Chan Pui-leung said the industry is giving the fire-related cases “special consideration” to expedite claims and proactively reach insured victims. Rival candidate Simon Lam underscored the industry’s stabilizing function, arguing that urgent payouts are crucial for maintaining social and economic stability post-disaster.
On the day, the catering candidate Kong Chi-hang emphasized that in addition to serving as food providers, his industry offers crucial “social and emotional relief” in crises.
Fellow candidate Leung Chun echoed the focus on psychological well-being, stressing that, alongside material aid, attention must be paid more to the affected community’s psychological trauma in the fire’s aftermath.
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The move to hold the polls as scheduled on Dec 7, said Brian Li Man-bun, vice-chairman of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, demonstrated the SAR government’s “steadfast commitment to upholding constitutional order”.
Li noted that this will allow newly elected lawmakers to promptly aid the city’s recovery from the Wang Fuk Court fire, push for a thorough probe into its causes, advance the post-fire rebuilding efforts, and enable related policy reforms.
Tam Yiu-chung, vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, backed the forums’ return. “Proceeding with the LegCo poll and related activities will not impede recovery efforts”, he stressed, noting that tasks like approving relief funding and scrutinizing safety failures require a functioning legislature.
“A legislative vacuum would be detrimental,” he added. The current council’s term expires on Dec 31.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
