Month: August 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

     The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice David Lok, conducted a briefing for the candidates of the 2025 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) By-elections tonight (August 18) on the electoral arrangements, the guidelines on election-related activities and important points to note in running their election campaigns to ensure that the By-elections will be conducted in an open, honest and fair manner.

Mr Justice Lok said at the briefing, “The nomination period for the ECSS By-elections closed on August 4. The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee has published the notices in the Gazette earlier with the names of 100 validly nominated candidates, as well as the names of 10 validly nominated nominees as Election Committee members.”

Mr Justice Lok said that for the By-elections, there are six contested subsectors, involving 28 candidates, who will contest in the ECSS By-elections to be held on September 7 for 21 seats. The Returning Officers (ROs) have determined the order of the names of candidates appearing on a ballot paper by drawing lots on August 12. The candidate numbers for the candidates concerned to be printed on ballot papers are listed on the Gazette notices published on August 12.

     At the briefing, Mr Justice Lok highlighted the arrangements and points to note of the By-elections that are related to the candidates.

No canvassing zone and no staying zone

On the polling day, a certain area outside each polling station will be designated as a no canvassing zone to ensure that voters can gain access to the polling stations without interference. A no staying zone will also be designated outside the entrance and exit of a polling station. No one is allowed to stay in the no staying zone or be allowed to canvass for votes or conduct “de-facto canvassing” such as making hand gestures and greetings in the no canvassing zone.

The presiding officer will request the person who has committed such prohibited acts within these zones to leave. If the person concerned refuses to abide by the order, he or she may be evicted by enforcement officers or authorised persons.

Central counting

Central counting will be adopted for the By-elections. Once the poll is closed, the ballot boxes will be delivered to the central counting station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The ROs will supervise the counting process with the assistance of Assistant ROs and counting staff. Questionable ballot papers will be determined by the ROs on site, and their determination will be final. Any objection raised against the ROs’ determination will be filed in record, and the candidates may make an appeal in accordance with legal procedures.

Video-recording facilities will be installed at the central counting station. Candidates, election agents and counting agents may enter the central counting station and observe the count at designated areas of the counting zone. Members of the public and media may also enter the central counting station to observe the count, but they are not allowed to enter the counting zone. A notice setting out the maximum capacity of the public area will be displayed outside the central counting station.

Announcement of election results

Once the counting of votes is completed and verified by the Statistical Information Centre, the RO will make known the counting results to the candidates and their agents present at the desk for determination of questionable ballot papers at the central counting station. If none of the candidates or agents present request a recount of votes, the RO will thereupon announce the election results. If, according to the counting result, there remain vacancies to be filled and the remaining candidates with the highest number of votes have an equal number of votes, the RO shall determine the result of the election by drawing lots in accordance with the legislation. Later that evening, the elected candidates will be invited to receive applause on stage of the Media Centre.

The election results will be displayed outside the central counting station and published via press releases and the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).

Digitalisation of election forms

Electronic copies are introduced for most election forms for the By-elections. Candidates may submit the relevant election forms via the REO e-Form Upload Platform and the Central Platform for Election Advertisements. However, some of the forms, such as the Return and Declaration of Election Expenses and Election Donations (Election Return), or forms with statutory declaration, are still required under the existing laws or other requirements to be submitted in paper form.

Mr Justice Lok reminded the candidates that once the electronic forms are submitted through the platforms concerned, notifications of confirmation will be issued by the respective platforms via email or mobile phone SMS message. With the receipt of the notifications, there is no need to submit the forms using other means again.

Election expenses and donations

     The law stipulates that election expenses are the expenses used for the purpose of promoting or prejudicing the election of a candidate. Only candidates and their election expense agents may incur election expenses, otherwise it is an illegal conduct.

To ensure candidates are contesting on a level playing field, a maximum limit of election expenses is set for each subsector: the maximum amount of election expenses for a candidate belonging to a subsector with the number of voters fewer than 500 is $100,000, while that for a candidate belonging to a subsector with the number of voters ranging from 501 to 5 000 is $160,000. It is an offence for a candidate to incur election expenses in excess of the prescribed maximum limit.

Mr Justice Lok reminded the candidates that the election donations received can only be used for the By-elections. If there are unspent or unused election donations after the By-elections, the unspent or unused portion of the donations must be given to a charitable institution or trust of a public character. In addition, candidates are required by law to submit an Election Return within 30 days after the gazettal of the election results to declare all election expenses incurred by the candidate and his/her election expense agents, as well as all election donations received.

Election advertisements

     If the name, logo or a pictorial representation of a person or an organisation appears in the election advertisement of a candidate as an indication of support from that person or organisation, the candidate must obtain the written consent from that person or organisation before the publication of the election advertisement. Candidates must upload the electronic copies of the election advertisements and the permission, consent of support, etc, onto the REO’s Central Platform or the candidate’s platform for public inspection within three working days after the publication of the election advertisements. Candidates may also submit the relevant materials to the ROs. It is an offence if a candidate fails to comply with the requirement.
 
At the briefing, a representative from the Independent Commission Against Corruption also briefed the candidates about the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance to enhance their understanding of the acts that may constitute corrupt or illegal conducts, whereas a representative from Hongkong Post provided to the candidates a brief overview of the arrangements for free postage service for election mail.
 
     Information on the By-elections is available on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk). The video of the candidate briefing will also be uploaded to the election website and the YouTube channel of RTHK (www.youtube.com/@RTHK) later (search “2025 Election Committee Subsector By-elections Briefing Session for Candidates” to watch).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Two incoming passengers were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, and three months’ imprisonment and fined $500, respectively at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts and the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on August 16 and today (August 18) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted a 59-year-old incoming female passenger at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point on August 15. A total of 3 181 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $14,300 and a duty potential of about $10,500, were seized from her personal baggage. She was subsequently arrested.

In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 49-year-old incoming female passenger at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on August 16. A total of 5 981 duty-not-paid cigarettes and approximately 12 kilograms of raw meat, with a total estimated market value of about $31,300 and a duty potential of about $19,800, were seized from her personal baggage. She was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

In addition, according to the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap. 132AK), it is an offence to bring any game, meat, poultry or eggs into Hong Kong without a health certificate issued by an issuing entity of the place of origin and/or without prior written permission granted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. An offender shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

In view of the latest developments in Israel and Iran, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (August 18) adjusted the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Israel and Iran to red.
 
A Government spokesman said, “The red OTA signifies a significant threat. The HKSAR Government advises Hong Kong residents who intend to visit Israel and Iran to adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel. In view of the situation in Israel, Hong Kong residents should avoid all travel to Gaza and nearby areas, as well as areas along the border with Syria and Lebanon. As for Iran, Hong Kong residents should also avoid all travel to areas near the Isfahan, Qom, Markazi and Bushehr provinces.”
 
The Security Bureau will continue to closely monitor the situation there. Any updates will be issued through the media, the Bureau’s mobile app and the OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota).
 
Hong Kong residents in Israel and Iran should attend to personal safety and pay attention to announcements made by local authorities and the Chinese Embassies there. Hong Kong residents there who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department (ImmD) at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the ImmD Mobile Application, send a message to the 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline or the 1868 WeChat assistance hotline, submit the Online Assistance Request Form, or contact the local Chinese Embassies (consular protection hotline of Chinese Embassy in Israel: (972) 3-5459520; consular protection hotline of Chinese Embassy in Iran: (98) 912-2176035.
 
Hong Kong residents, when outside Hong Kong, are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) of the ImmD to register their contact details and itinerary. The information provided allows the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means, including SMS on mobile phones, when necessary.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the ninth meeting of the Task Force on District Governance today (August 18) to follow up on the initiatives in accordance with the work assigned by the Steering Committee on District Governance. The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on issues of local concern and continuously reviewed the work progress and performance.
 
Mr Cheuk said, “In accordance with the overall strategies set by the Steering Committee, all departments have intensified their efforts to address various district issues, fully carried out improvement measures, achieved phased results and effectively responded to the needs of the public. The Task Force will continue to co-ordinate departments in closely monitoring the implementation of these measures, evaluating their effectiveness, and making adjustments and enhancements as needed to create a high-quality living environment for the public.”
 
The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration has formulated strategies for 12 district issues (Note), including various measures to strengthen community support. These initiatives aim to unite community efforts and comprehensively enhance the public’s sense of fulfilment and well-being. At the meeting, the Task Force followed up on the implementation progress and outcomes of relevant initiatives. These include: the Labour and Welfare Bureau is exploring an integration of databases by the Housing Department and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to identify the high-risk hidden elderly, and the SWD has taken the lead in deploying care teams to visit/reach out to these elderly households in Kwun Tong and Sha Tin Districts and referring them to additional support services as necessary since July; further to the second phase of the environmental hygiene legislative amendments, which came into effect yesterday (August 17), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will issue a Notice of Elimination of Vermin to a person responsible for the management of premises at suitable buildings (e.g. property management companies), with the maximum penalties for non-compliance increased to $25,000 plus a daily fine of $450; as of last month, the FEHD has issued 4 300 “Statutory Nuisance Notices” to property owners/occupants across Hong Kong for the environmental nuisance caused by air conditioner water dripping, with the vast majority of cases already rectified; and all departments continue to advance 11 thematic planting projects scheduled for implementation within this year.
 
The Task Force also reviewed at the meeting the arrangements for displaying publicity materials to celebrate the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. Photos of the publicity materials and decorations will be uploaded to a thematic website dedicated to National Day celebrations for public viewing and widespread publicity.
 
Mr Cheuk thanked all departments for their dedicated efforts in advancing the above work and achieving positive outcomes. He urged all departments to continue actively following up on various livelihood-related issues, addressing the concerns and difficulties of the public through concrete actions to build a better community together.
 
Note: The 12 key issues are: (1) expanding after-school care and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics ; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion; (9) improving the waiting environment at public transport interchanges to enhance the travel experience; (10) combating air-conditioner water dripping to improve community environment; (11) cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve city streets; (12) strengthening thematic planting.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government announced today (August 18) that the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme) will be further extended this month to three Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), namely Jiangmen, Huizhou and Zhaoqing, achieving full coverage of the nine Mainland cities in the GBA. Additionally, two new service points will open in Shenzhen. Eligible Hong Kong elderly persons will be able to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) to pay for outpatient healthcare services at designated departments at these five additional service points within this month.
 
　　”The Government launched the Pilot Scheme in 2024 to extend the coverage of EHCVs to seven integrated medical/dental institutions in the GBA, covering Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen. Following the successful implementation of the Pilot Scheme, in May this year, the Government announced an extension of the Pilot Scheme to include 12 additional medical institutions. This expansion extended the Pilot Scheme from the core cities along Zhujiang to GBA cities that were previously not covered. Additionally, the Pilot Scheme included Chinese medicine hospitals for the first time, providing eligible elderly persons with additional choices in healthcare services. The number of pilot medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme will increase significantly to 19. Together with the two existing service points operated by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, a total of 21 service points in the GBA (see Annex I) will be allowed to use EHCVs to pay for outpatient healthcare services at designated departments, benefitting more than 1.78 million eligible Hong Kong elderly persons,” a Government spokesman supplemented.
 
　　”The HKSAR Government would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province and the health authorities of the relevant cities for their strong support and assistance with the Pilot Scheme. With the five aforementioned medical institutions commencing services this month, the goal announced in ‘The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address’ to extend the Pilot Scheme to nine Mainland cities in the GBA will be fully achieved. The full coverage of the nine cities under the Pilot Scheme marks another milestone in policy innovation and cross-boundary medical collaboration.”
 
　　Details of the five newly added medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme/service points are as follows:
 

Services launch date	GBA City	Name of newly added medical institution/ new service point under the Pilot Scheme
August 21 (Thursday)	Jiangmen	Jiangmen Central Hospital (JMCH)
	Huizhou	Huizhou Central People’s Hospital (HZCPH)
August 28 (Thursday)	Zhaoqing	The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing (FPHZQ)
	Shenzhen	Peking University Shenzhen Hospital (PKUSZH)
	Shenzhen (Qianhai)	Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University (SHSMU)

 
　　For JMCH, EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 16 designated departments, namely the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Department of Orthopedics, Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dental Department, Emergency Department, Department of Infectious Disease, Department of Dermatology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Nutrition, Health Management Center and Department of Nursing.
 
　　For HZCPH, EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 10 designated departments, namely the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Department of Orthopedics, Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Stomatology, Traumatic Emergency Center, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Health Examination Center and Department of Nutrition.
 
　　For FPHZQ, EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 14 designated departments, namely the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Department of Orthopedics, Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Stomatology, Emergency Department, Department of Dermatology, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wound Repair Center, Rehabilitation Department, Weight Management Center and Physical Examination Center.
 
　　For PKUSZH, EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 14 designated departments, namely the Internal Medicine Department, Surgery Department, Gynecology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology Department, Otorhinlaryngology (ENT) Department, Stomatology Department, Dermatology Department, General Medicine Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Department, Rehabilitation Department, Nutrition Department, Health Checkup Department and Nurse Specialist Clinic.
 
　　For SHSMU, EHCVs are applicable for outpatient healthcare services provided by 12 designated departments, namely the Internal Medicine Department, General Surgery Department, Gynaecology Department, Orthopedic Department, Ophthalmology Department, Otolaryngology (ENT) Department, Stomatology Department, Emergency Department, General Practice Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Rehabilitation Medicine Department and Health Management Center.
 
　　The arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses and the EHCV Pilot Reward Scheme under the EHCV Scheme are equally applicable to JMCH and HZCPH. When an elderly person receives designated primary healthcare outpatient services for health checks, preventive health services, and follow-up/monitoring of long-term conditions at the designated departments, the EHCV spending for that service encounter can be accumulated for the allotment of rewards. Further information and patient visit procedures are set out in Annex II.
 
     The fees for the healthcare services provided by the pilot medical institutions are denominated in Renminbi. Medical institutions will make EHCV claims for elderly persons, and the EHCV amount deducted in Hong Kong dollars will be calculated according to a monthly updated voucher conversion factor under the EHCV Scheme. The monthly voucher conversion factor under the EHCV Scheme will be displayed at the cashier offices of the medical institutions for reference by the elderly persons.
 
     “Elderly persons cannot use EHCVs together with national medical insurance to pay for the fees of the same healthcare service encounter. The scope of using EHCVs on the Mainland is the same as that in Hong Kong, which does not include inpatient services, prepaid healthcare services and day surgery procedures. EHCVs cannot be used solely for the purchase of goods, medication, medical equipment or products, nor can they be redeemed for cash,” the Government spokesman reminded.
 
     Hong Kong elderly persons should register with eHealth before using EHCVs at any designated service point in the GBA. To facilitate Hong Kong citizens in using electronic health records (eHRs) across the boundary in a secure manner and to enhance the continuity of healthcare services, the “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” functions of the eHealth mobile application (eHealth App) will be extended to the medical institutions concerned starting from the service launch day of the Pilot Scheme (i.e. August 21 and August 28). In addition, elderly persons can also use the eHealth App to check their EHCV balance and usage record, as well as access at any time important information such as their medications, allergies and adverse drug reactions stored in the eHealth App. If elderly persons wish to use EHCVs at the GBA medical institutions but have not yet registered with eHealth, the medical institutions will instantly register them for eHealth upon their consent so that they can use EHCVs right away.
 
     If elderly persons suspect that the participating medical institutions have violated the EHCV Scheme rules, they can call the EHCV Scheme hotline (2838 2311) to provide relevant information and details to the Health Care Voucher Division of the Department of Health (DH). All suspected cases of violation of the EHCV Scheme rules will be strictly dealt with by the DH. Furthermore, each participating GBA medical institution has set up an enquiry and complaint hotline. Elderly persons can also offer their views to the relevant medical institution or file complaints against the medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme with local municipal or Guangdong provincial health authorities if necessary. Members of the public can visit the following thematic website (www.hcv.gov.hk/en/hcv_gba_pilot_scheme/index.html) for more information.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     A male passenger was sentenced to 10 weeks’ imprisonment and fined $1,500 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (August 18) for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs Officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
 
Customs officers intercepted the incoming male passenger, aged 31, at Hong Kong International Airport on July 15. About 16 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes and three alternative smoking products were seized from his personal baggage with an estimated market value of about $75,900 and a duty potential of about $55,500 in total. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
 
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
 
Under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
 
Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, commenced her two-day visit to Beijing today (August 18) and called on the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The Permanent Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Kevin Choi, and Deputy Secretaries for Transport and Logistics Ms Joan Hung and Miss Amy Chan, along with the Acting Director-General of Civil Aviation, Miss Clara Wong, also joined the visit. Upon their arrival in Beijing in the afternoon, they met with the Minister of Transport, Mr Liu Wei, to discuss various topics on sea, land and air transportation and logistics. Ms Chan and her delegation also had a meeting with Deputy Administrator of the CAAC Ms Liang Nan to give an update on Hong Kong’s latest developments in aviation. The Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, Mrs Vivian Cheung, also joined the meeting.

Ms Chan said, “Shipping and aviation are both Hong Kong’s ‘golden reputation’. I am grateful for the co-ordination of relevant ministries, which has enabled Hong Kong to better leverage its advantage of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while being closely connected to the world. In terms of shipping and logistics, we are close to the vast hinterland of our country and are also easily accessible to international markets. We will continue to adopt an intermodal transport approach to consolidate and boost our cargo volumes, thereby better utilising and further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as an international shipping centre. As for aviation, we engage in differential development with Mainland hub airports to achieve complementary advantages. Hong Kong is also honoured to be the first city outside the Mainland to be served by our country’s home-developed aircraft C919. We look forward to further facilitating the expansion of C919 from Hong Kong to overseas markets and will continue to proactively offer support in areas such as aircraft maintenance, talent training, aircraft leasing and sales to promote the entry of home-developed aircraft into the international market.”

Ms Chan and her delegation also toured a local smart transport systems enterprise to learn how technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics can bring efficiency to traffic management. The company was also among the fourth batch of strategic enterprises attracted to Hong Kong this year.

Ms Chan and her delegation will continue their visit to Beijing tomorrow (August 19).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     In response to media enquiries about rumors circulating on the Internet that a local university has been granted approval to establish the third medical school, the Health Bureau clarified today (August 18) that the information is completely groundless.

     The Task Group on New Medical School received proposals for the establishment of the third medical school this March from three universities, namely Hong Kong Baptist University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Between May and June, the Task Group held two meetings with the three universities to have in-depth discussions on their proposals. At the last meeting on July 31, the Task Group carried out an overall assessment of the proposals, and initiated the next phase of follow-up work to conduct a thorough study of the funding arrangements and financial sustainability of the proposals. A final recommendation on the establishment of the new medical school is expected to be provided to the Government later this year. 

     The Task Group has all along been making public announcements on the latest progress through press releases, and will continue to take forward the evaluation exercise at full speed in a rigorous, impartial and professional manner.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation yesterday (August 17) and arrested six foreign domestic helpers. The six Filipino foreign domestic helpers, aged from 34 to 60, were suspected of breaching their conditions of stay by practising dentistry without registration.
 
The ImmD received a report earlier on that a number of foreign domestic helpers breached their conditions of stay by providing unlicensed dental services. After an in-depth investigation and intelligence analysis, ImmD investigators identified the suspects concerned and conducted an enforcement action yesterday. Upon the enforcement action, ImmD investigators arrested six foreign domestic helper suspects and seized exhibits, including dental equipment and tools for teeth scaling, orthodontic treatments and denture making inside a residential apartment in Sham Shui Po. The investigation is still underway and the ImmD will not rule out the possibility that more persons will be arrested. The ImmD had referred to the relevant department for a follow-up investigation into the suspected violation of the Dentists Registration Ordinance by the foreign domestic workers.
 
“The helper should only perform domestic duties for the employer specified in the contract. The helper should not take up any other employment, including part-time domestic duties, with any other person. The employer should not require or allow the helper to carry out any work for any other person,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
The spokesman also said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him/her shall be guilty of an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region