62 h. ago 3 new Hong Kong lawmakers fail to declare company shareholdings

At least three newcomers to Hong Kong’s legislature, including two from the city’s largest political party, have failed to declare company shareholdings, the Post has found, with the trio blaming the omissions on heavy workloads or misunderstandings. The three lawmakers are Jody Kwok Fu-yung and Hung Kam-in of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), and Thomas So Shiu-tsung, a lawyer. “I am still a newcomer and have to handle many matters, such as [a new]...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee to open new Legco’s first meeting with Tai Po fire on agenda

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to focus on follow-up actions after last year’s Tai Po fire that claimed at least 161 lives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will address the new batch of 90 lawmakers, followed by a...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee tells Legco fire relief, accountability at top of agenda

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council is holding its first meeting on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to focus on follow-up actions after last year’s Tai Po fire that claimed at least 161 lives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu addressed the new batch of 90 lawmakers, highlighting government...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong Legco president sets up group of coordinators to improve efficiency

Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council president has formed a group of lawmakers to act as coordinators in a bid to make the body more efficient and effective. The 12-member group will have fellow lawmakers Ronick Chan Chun-ying, who represents the finance sector, and Stanley Ng Chau-pei of the Federation of Trade Unions as its “chief coordinators”, Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king said. In a Facebook post, the Legco president said she met fellow legislators on Monday morning and briefed them on...

Politics

5 d. ago New Hong Kong Legco president sets up group of coordinators to improve efficiency

Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council president has formed a group of lawmakers to act as coordinators in a bid to make the body more efficient and effective. Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king said on Monday that the 12-member group would have fellow lawmakers Ronick Chan Chun-ying, who represents the finance sector, and Stanley Ng Chau-pei of the Federation of Trade Unions as its “chief coordinators”. In a Facebook post, Lee said she met fellow legislators on Monday morning and briefed them on...

Politics

8 d. ago Access to minors’ devices should be allowed to protect them: Hong Kong legal body

Access to children’s electronic devices by adults supervising them should be allowed to protect their interests and ensure safety, according to recommendations by Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission for proposed legislation to curb cybercrimes. But the wide-ranging recommendations, published by the commission on Friday and to be submitted to the government for consideration, stopped short of including a public interest defence to exempt whistle-blowers. The report also suggested that acts...

Politics

8 d. ago Parents ‘should be allowed access’ to minors’ devices in Hong Kong to protect them

Parents and other supervising adults should be allowed access to children’s electronic devices to protect their interests and ensure safety, according to recommendations from Hong Kong’s Law Reform Commission for proposed anti-cybercrime legislation. But the wide-ranging recommendations, published by the commission on Friday and set to be submitted to the government for consideration, stopped short of including a public interest defence to exempt whistle-blowers. The report also suggested that...

Politics

1 week ago Tight race for Hong Kong’s Legco presidency as parties allow free vote

Two candidates vying to become the next president of Hong Kong’s legislature are locked in a tight race as major political parties have given their members a free vote. The newly sworn-in members of the Legislative Council (Legco) will on Thursday elect either Starry Lee Wai-king of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) or finance sector representative Ronick Chan Chun-ying through a secret ballot. Before voting begins, both candidates will present their...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong think tank backs call to make bid‑rigging a crime after fatal fire

Hong Kong should make bid-rigging a crime in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a local think tank has urged, echoing a similar call from the city’s barristers. The proposal by the POD Research Institute came after the Hong Kong Bar Association formed a task force to review existing legislation following the deadly fire in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which tore through seven of the eight blocks under maintenance in November. The blaze, which killed at least 161 people and displaced...

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s development role to be discussed in top legislature’s annual session

China’s top legislative body will deliberate the nation’s next five-year development plan in its annual session in March, where Hong Kong’s role in contributing to national development is also expected to be discussed, according to the city’s sole delegate to the body. Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said on Saturday that the proposed agenda for the session – which includes the 15th five-year plan, as well as the government’s work report...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s role to be discussed in China’s top legislature annual session

China’s top legislative body will review the nation’s next five-year development plan in its annual session in March, where Hong Kong’s role in contributing to national development is also expected to be discussed, according to the city’s sole delegate to the body. Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said on Saturday that the proposed agenda for the session – which includes the 15th five-year plan, as well as the government’s work report and...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s new legislators must strengthen child protection laws

The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance becomes operational in Hong Kong on January 20, and will enhance child protections. It contains a mechanism for the early and effective detection of child abuse cases. It requires particular professionals to report if, during their work, they come to suspect a child has been suffering serious harm, or is at real risk of it. The acts considered serious harm include inflicting physical injury, forcing or enticing a child to participate in a sexual...

Society

3 w. ago Deadly Tai Po blaze affected Hong Kong Legco election voter turnout, minister says

Voter turnout in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election was affected by the city’s deadliest fire in decades, recording the second-lowest rate since the 1997 handover despite a modest rise from the previous poll, the constitutional affairs chief has said. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai stressed on Sunday that the government had not set a “hard indicator” for the turnout rate in the 2025 Legco poll, which reached 31.9 per cent. “I believe the fire had an...

Politics

4 w. ago Centrist Hong Kong lawmaker says win will spur more vocal candidates in future polls

The sole lawmaker-elect of the centrist Roundtable party in Hong Kong has said his victory in the recent Legislative Council election could embolden more moderate and outspoken politicians to contest future polls. Mark Chong Ho-fung also called on the government to strengthen oversight to improve public trust, citing two cases: the bottled water scandal and the use of substandard scaffolding nets suspected to have exacerbated the rapid spread of last month’s catastrophic fire in Tai Po. The...

Politics