Month: February 2026

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) said that it has consistently fulfilled its regulatory and enforcement duties in accordance with the law regarding the water loss at Fairview Park.

In response to inaccurate claims made in a press release issued by the Fairview Park Small Owners’ Rights Association today, the WSD today issued a clarification to prevent public misunderstanding.

The WSD stated that because the leakage occurred within Fairview Park’s inside service, the department exercised its power under Section 7 of the Waterworks Ordinance to require the registered agent to rectify the problem.

However, the association has repeatedly and incorrectly claimed that the WSD is responsible for these services.

As the regulator, the WSD maintains that the association’s persistent demands for the department to inspect and replace water mains are based on a misrepresentation of the law, which the department said is completely out of order.

Furthermore, the WSD pointed out that under clause 42 of the special conditions of the land lease, the Government is only responsible for maintaining water mains if they were both laid by the Government and located beneath the roads surrendered to it.

The WSD noted that the majority of Fairview Park’s water mains were laid by the land’s grantee, making this clause inapplicable to these water mains. The WSD clarified that it only laid a small portion of the water mains beneath the roads at the estate’s entrance and the areas within the housing estate near the entrance.

These roads are still private land and have not been surrendered to the Government, the department said.

The WSD said that under Waterworks Ordinance Section 7, as well as the land lease, the customers or the registered agent are responsible for custody and maintenance of the water mains within Fairview Park.

Despite the WSD’s repeated explanations, the association has continued to misinterpret the land lease provisions, and the department urges it to stop disseminating inaccurate information.

To address residents’ concerns and resolve the water loss issue, the WSD has engaged an independent expert panel.

By leveraging advanced technology and expertise, the panel will provide third‑party advice to help the responsible parties plan effective repairs for the water mains.

The panel is accountable to the WSD and has begun its work, aiming to deliver preliminary findings by April.

The WSD said it will thoroughly consider advice from the panel when it plans follow-up actions, which include providing appropriate technical support for the owners and the management office.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Mr Lui has been divorced for three years and is raising two children on his own. Both children have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and his son also suffers from dyslexia. Mr Lui quit his job to focus entirely on their daily care, but the immense pressure he faced took its toll and in a moment of distress, he resorted to physically disciplining his daughter.

“At first, I did not know they had attention deficit issues, and I felt quite helpless,” Mr Lui explained.

“That day, I had arranged a school activity for my daughter, so I woke her up at around 7am. But even after calling her, she kept dragging her feet.

“We were already running late and I did not want her to miss the activity, so in a moment of anger, I hit her with a clothes hanger. Looking back now, I know hitting her at that moment was completely pointless.”

Immediate guidance

After the Social Welfare Department’s Family & Child Protective Services Unit intervened, Mr Lui’s daughter was sent to stay with an emergency foster family, while he received counselling and other forms of support.

In order to strengthen assistance for families facing parenting difficulties or potential risks of child abuse, the department funded non-governmental organisations to establish six Child Protection Support Service Teams in March last year. The teams comprise professionals including social workers, psychologists and nurses, and handle cases referred by the department. By the end of September last year, they had handled 428 family cases.

Social Welfare Department Family & Child Protective Services Unit (Sha Tin) Social Work Officer Natalie Cheung explained that the services provided by the teams cover a wide range of needs, including home visitation support services, various group and training programmes, as well as family enrichment activities. The teams also accompany parents and their children to follow-up medical appointments when needed.

She highlighted that home visitation support is a key component of the service.

“While counselling usually takes place in an office setting, parents may not always find it easy to apply what they have learned at home. The teams can visit families to demonstrate and observe interactions on the spot, providing timely guidance.”

Rebuilding relationships

The support team taught Mr Lui appropriate ways to interact with his children. After six months of effort, his daughter was able to move back home. Team members also visited the family to help them declutter their living space together.

“I feel I am no longer on my own. Their support gave me the motivation to move forward,” Mr Lui revealed. “I understand my children better now and have learned how to communicate with them more effectively. As communication improves, our relationship becomes more comfortable for everyone.”

Strengthened measures

According to figures from the department, the number of newly registered child protection cases has shown a continuous increase over the past five years, from 940 cases in 2020 to 1,504 in 2024. In the first three quarters of 2025, 1,022 cases were recorded.

The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance came into effect on January 20. Under the ordinance, 25 categories of specified professionals including social workers, teachers, doctors and clinical psychologists are required to make a report as soon as possible, if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child has suffered serious harm or faces a real risk of serious harm.

Social Welfare Department Family & Child Welfare Branch Chief Social Work Officer (Domestic Violence) Dora Yuen outlined that the Government has put in place a number of support measures in tandem with the ordinance.

“The manpower of the Family & Child Protective Services Unit has been increased, enabling the unit to receive and handle new reports more effectively.

“We have also introduced a new service, the Child Protection Support Service, to follow up on cases involving abused children and their families.”

She added that to support those children in need of residential care services, the Government will continue to allocate more resources to increase residential places, including setting up two new residential child care centres in Tuen Mun and Kwun Tong. Providing an additional 96 places, these two centres are expected to offer emergency residential care support for about 380 young children each year.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Health Bureau, the Department of Health and The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) jointly held a kick-off ceremony for the “Creating Health Values of Chinese Medicine” event series, with the CMHHK also hosting its first educational event.

 

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau and Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam attended the ceremony.

 

Prof Lo said the event series demonstrates the Government’s commitment to advancing the cultural inheritance of Chinese Medicine (CM), as set out in the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint. Built on cross-institutional and cross-sectoral collaboration, it aims to facilitate citizens’ understanding of the advantages of CM services and disseminate knowledge on the uses of CM for disease prevention and treatment.

 

He added that the series showcases the missions of both the CMHHK and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) in fostering health values.

 

“In collaboration with the industry and relevant stakeholders, they will promote CM culture and knowledge, the adoption of CM approaches in daily living, and the use of CM services to members of the public through diverse activities, with a view to strengthening public confidence in and recognition of CM.” 

 

Following the kick-off ceremony, a number of representatives from the CM sector and schools participated in keynote sessions and a panel discussion.

 

Future events in the series will involve lectures, exhibitions and community activities.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) today staged a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony of the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) in Hong Kong.

The ceremony recognised the exceptional dedication and effort of volunteers who devoted themselves throughout the test events and the official events.

The ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Velodrome, with officiating guests including Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law and NGCO Head Yeung Tak-keung.

Nearly 3,000 volunteer representatives attended the event, where awards were presented to selected volunteers and volunteer groups for their exceptional service.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan expressed that Hong Kong’s involvement in jointly hosting the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG is a testament to the trust and support from the country.

He highlighted that the successful execution of events in the Hong Kong competition region was made possible not only through the collaborative efforts of various government departments and sectors of society, but also through the support of a passionate team of volunteers.

He added that over the past year, more than 15,000 volunteers participated, accumulating over 360,000 hours of service. The volunteers exemplified Hong Kong’s hospitality to the events and showcased enthusiasm and efficiency.

After the volunteer awardees and groups received their accolades, some volunteers shared personal stories, highlighting the motivations and sentiments behind their service.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Health Bureau (HHB) today (February 6) submitted a paper to the Panel on Health Services of the Legislative Council (LegCo) on the legislative amendment proposals to the Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO) (Cap. 161) formulated to support the reform of the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK), with a view to ensuring that the MCHK can continue to uphold medical professional standards and discharge its statutory functions, as well as strengthening the support provided by the Department of Health (DH) and the Secretariat of the MCHK to the work of the MCHK, including relevant supporting measures to enhance the MCHK’s handling of complaints concerning doctors’ professional conduct.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “The Government expects the reform of the MCHK’s system will bring about enhanced medical professional standards, safeguards to the health of citizens and consolidation of the mutual trust between doctors and patients, supporting Hong Kong’s development into an international health and medical innovation hub. I am grateful to various stakeholders, including the MCHK, professional bodies, patient groups and other relevant stakeholders, for offering valuable views over the past few weeks. The Government will make every effort to take forward the work of amending the MRO, with a view to introducing an amendment bill into the LegCo in the first half of this year, and to implement the related reform measures progressively.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at Inaugural Francis Chan Lecture 2025 today (February 6):

Francis (Choh-Ming Li Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Francis Chan), Philip (Dean of Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Philip Chiu), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,       
     The third area to make the best use of our unique strength under “one country, two systems” is international connectivity. Beyond supporting Mainland enterprises to “go global”, Hong Kong also serves as an ideal showcase and validation platform, helping Chinese product standards and practices gain broader international recognition. We are already contributing to international rule making and standard setting in areas such as financial regulation, green and sustainable finance, construction services and dispute resolution. But we can—and should—do more. Our professionals’ and businesses’ deep understanding of both Chinese and global systems gives us a distinct and valuable advantage. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Health Bureau today submitted a paper to the Legislative Council’s Panel on Health Services on the legislative amendment proposals to the Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO) formulated to support the reform of the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK).

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said that the Government will make every effort to take forward the work of amending the MRO, with a view to introducing an amendment bill into LegCo in the first half of this year.

At present, the MCHK comprises 24 medical practitioner members and eight lay members. To reform the council’s composition of the MCHK, the Government proposed to increase the number of lay members in the council; to suitably adjust the composition of medical practitioner members; and to include representation from primary healthcare.

Having considered the report submitted by the MCHK, the Office of The Ombudsman’s investigation report and the views of relevant stakeholders, the Government proposed amendments to the MCHK’s complaints handling mechanism.

The proposed amendments include requiring the MCHK to set target time frames for different stages of the overall complaints handling mechanism, and establish a system to monitor overall case progress; allowing both the complainant and the doctor concerned to apply to the MCHK for review of the Inquiry Panel’s (IP) decision, or lodge an appeal to the court; the IP should adopt the court’s findings of fact made upon conviction; and if a doctor is convicted of a serious offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a specified term, the doctor may be removed from the register immediately.

In view of the continued shortage of doctors and intensifying global competition for healthcare talent, it is proposed to allow both non-Hong Kong permanent residents and Hong Kong permanent residents to apply for special registration.

At present, to assist the MCHK in discharging its statutory functions, the Department of Health provides resources to establish the Secretariat.

The Government will explore with the MCHK how to enhance the Secretariat’s support to the MCHK.

It proposed to actively explore the establishment of a dedicated team to support complaint investigations; actively explore increasing legal support and administrative personnel to handle the growing number of complaints; to systematically arrange experts from different medical specialties to provide advice on complaint cases and participate in inquiries regularly at the invitation of the MCHK; and to provide appropriate training and support for newly appointed assessors to ensure that they can participate in the complaints handling process.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government announced the Transport Strategy Blueprint today, with the vision of “Implementing a people-centric approach, Strengthening connectivity with both the Mainland and the world, Promoting efficient travel, and Embracing green lifestyle”.

It establishes three major themes for future transport development, and proposes six strategies with a total of 25 recommendations to drive the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s transport system.

The three major themes are “Enjoyable Journeys”, “Well-connected City”, and “Healthy Mobility”.

“Enjoyable Journeys” adheres to a public transport-oriented policy, enhancing local and cross-boundary transport infrastructure to connect the economic core areas of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, driving economic development and optimising passenger travel experiences.

“Well-connected City” focuses on leveraging advanced technology to promote digitalised traffic management, improving transport efficiency, including more flexible scheduling of public transport services based on individual passenger needs, promoting autonomous driving, and sharing more transport data with the public for trip planning, fostering smart mobility.

“Healthy Mobility” integrates the concept of sustainable communities into urban planning, actively promoting green travel modes such as walking, cycling, and electric mobility devices.

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan said that the blueprint sets out future objectives, strategies and directions, articulating short-, medium-, and long-term measures to advance Hong Kong’s economic development and enhance the convenience for its people.

“This year, we have 10 key measures, and the blueprint also outlines transport strategies for the next two decades, allowing us to maintain our global leadership in public transport, consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a regional and national transportation hub; at the same time, through actively embracing smart technology, providing more convenient and diverse transportation options for citizens and tourists, making Hong Kong a city ideal for living, working and travelling.”

The blueprint comprehensively considers Hong Kong’s population trends, travel demands, urban and technological development, and other factors.

Key contents include a new layout of “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” infrastructure projects, planning for a new generation of Transport Interchange Hubs, flexible Smart Demand-responsive Public Transport Mode services, enhancing the application of artificial intelligence in traffic management, promoting the development of autonomous vehicles, actively increasing parking spaces, developing low-altitude economy, and enhancing pedestrian environments.

The implementation of the blueprint will promote Hong Kong’s economic growth and sustainable development, while facilitating the movement of people and goods within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.

Click here for the full text of the blueprint.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) held the first training session of the year for members of the District Councils (DC) at the Central Government Offices today, during which Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak shared the Government’s handling of the fire.

The training covered the Government’s support and response work after the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po.

It aimed to provide guidance to the DC members on how to respond to and help affected residents in the event of a major disaster, as well as enhancing the collaboration with District Committee members and care teams, thereby giving full play to the functions of the “troika” in district governance.

DC members were also requested to assist in improving the efficacy of building management in their daily work in order to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents.

Miss Mak shared the Government’s handling of the fire, in particular areas under the purview of the HYAB team. These included immediately opening community halls as temporary shelters, mobilising care teams to assist residents, helping with the receipt and distribution of supplies and the disbursement of emergency subsidies, establishing the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to render assistance to residents of Wang Fuk Court and support various related initiatives, and co-ordinating with operators of hotels and youth hostels/camps to provide emergency short-term accommodation for the residents.

The Government also invoked for the first time section 31 of the Building Management Ordinance to apply for dissolution of the then management committee of the owners’ corporation (OC) of Wang Fuk Court, and appointment of an administrator to assist in clarifying the legal liabilities and entitlements of the OC and the owners, and examining the accounts of the OC.

Miss Mak said that the Government was pressing ahead with improvement measures on various fronts and implementing systemic reforms to break down barriers of vested interests.

The HYAB and the Home Affairs Department are conducting a comprehensive review of the Building Management Ordinance following five preliminary amendment directions.

The HYAB will consult the property management sector, OCs and owners on proposals for further amendments to the ordinance, and will also collect views at the district level through the DCs’ Working Group on Building Management (WGBM) to take forward the subsequent legislative amendment exercise.

Miss Mak told DC members that the incident had highlighted the advantages of the executive-led system after improving district governance, where districts could effectively mobilise the “troika” and the HYAB had greatly enhanced its capability to take action.

She reminded DC members that being at the frontline of district governance, they should proactively assist owners and residents in need in handling matters relating to building management, and make good use of the WGBM to provide suggestions to the Government.

Miss Mak encouraged DC members to enhance communication and interaction with residents and listen to their imminent concerns, with a view to identifying, intervening and resolving problems faced by the people at an early stage.

She also expects DC members to work together with the Government to drive the post-fire reforms to build a safer Hong Kong.