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Fiona Sun

Hong Kong authorities have yet to decide whether to restrict proxy voters at homeowners’ meetings to relatives or other flat owners of the same estate under proposed law amendments meant to combat bid-rigging, the home affairs director has said, arguing such a move could be overly strict.
Director of Home Affairs Priscilla To Kit-lai said on Saturday the proposed amendments to the Building Management Ordinance were aimed at enhancing the legitimacy of proxy votes amid concerns that voting results could be manipulated by a minority.
But she said the government had yet to decide whether proxy holders should be limited to the owners’ relatives or other owners in the same estate.
“For example, an elderly person living alone might have a familiar friend in a different housing estate who helps the person – that’s acceptable now,” she said on a television programme.
“But it might not be possible if we add proposed restrictions. We need to see if society feels this is too strict.”
Issues of building management and owner governance came under intense scrutiny during an independent committee hearing looking into the cause of the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that killed 168 people last November, with testimonies alleging bid-rigging and proxy vote collection.
In a consultation document released earlier this month, authorities laid out five major directions for proposed amendments to the Building Management Ordinance, which regulates incorporated ownership in buildings.
The five suggestions comprised imposing a higher attendance requirement and voting thresholds for decisions on large-scale and high-value maintenance procurement; improving the proxy vote system; optimising the process for declaration of interests; strengthening authorities’ powers; and clarifying meeting procedures.

To said electronic voting was not included due to identity verification issues.
“Currently, a Hong Kong identity card is required for the ‘iAM Smart’ app account, but a significant number of property owners in Hong Kong may be overseas residents without a Hong Kong identity card,” she said. “We need to resolve these technical issues.”
The app is the government’s digital authentication platform.
Asked whether the government could directly step in to remove a management committee if its chairman refused to convene a meeting without reasonable justification, To said authorities needed to consider individual rights.
“Building management is the responsibility of the homeowners, and ownership is their private property. Therefore, when considering when to intervene, another aspect we need to balance is the power of the public,” she said.
“It’s crucial to balance the importance of individual rights, so the government will not rashly intervene at this time.”
Francis Lam Ka-fai, former president of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, said restricting proxy voting to fellow residents could be harsh on vulnerable groups.
He pointed to elderly individuals living alone whose family members had moved overseas, noting they often relied on trusted friends outside their building to represent them.
Lam added that flat owners travelling abroad for business could similarly be left without a voice at general meetings if they were unable to authorise friends from outside the estate or other trusted people to vote on their behalf.
He suggested requiring that owners’ corporations hire lawyers to act as independent third-party witnesses during the proxy collection process to boost transparency of the process.
Additional reporting by Vivian Au


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Proposed changes to law on buildings management meant to combat bid-rigging but limits to proxy votes could be too strict, home affairs director says


Proposed changes to law on buildings management meant to combat bid-rigging but limits to proxy votes could be too strict, home affairs director says.


Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Government still weighing decision on restricting proxy voters, Hong Kong official says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Proposed changes to law on buildings management meant to combat bid-rigging but limits to proxy votes could be too strict, home affairs director says

Proposed changes to law on buildings management meant to combat bid-rigging but limits to proxy votes could be too strict, home affairs director says