Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

To offer support to individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, the Judiciary announced today that all potential legal proceedings related to the incident will be handled with priority and expeditiously through a series of facilitative measures.

A dedicated task group, headed by the Chief Judge of the High Court and comprising relevant court leaders and specialist judges, will be set up to ensure the swift handling of legal proceedings related to the incident at all court levels, without unduly compromising the administration of justice.

The Judiciary will designate a team of support staff for handling probate-related matters relating to the deceased victims of the fire. The team will liaise with relevant government departments to disseminate essential information on probate-related matters to affected families. A special hotline 2840 1683 is in operation to answer enquiries.

The Judiciary will also waive probate-related scheduled fees relating to the deceased victims. At the same time, the court will consider fee concessions for other court services.

Additionally, the processing of coroner-related matters, including the issue of Certificates of the Fact of Death, will be expedited.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Legal Aid Department (LAD) today announced that it has established a dedicated task force to implement support measures to assist individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, in applying for legal aid in accordance with statutory requirements.

The legal aid aims to handle litigation and related matters about personal injury claims, property damage claims and employees’ compensation claims, the department explained.

Specifically, the LAD has co-ordinated with the Social Welfare Department to leverage the “one social worker per household” service to disseminate information on legal aid, such as details on the scope of the legal aid, application procedures and eligibility criteria.

In addition, the LAD has established telephone hotlines (2867 4516 or 2399 2277) to address enquiries from the affected citizens about legal aid.

To ensure that the affected citizens can obtain legal aid as soon as possible, the LAD will streamline the application procedures and deploy staff to expedite the processing of applications.

Furthermore, seminars will be held to elaborate on legal aid application matters. Staff will offer assistance on site.

Separately, taking into account the burden and needs of the affected citizens, the LAD will arrange legal representatives to handle their litigation upon approval of their legal aid applications.

In this regard, the LAD reminds the prospective applicants not to arrange their own legal representation, and not give instructions or sign authorisation documents for legal services, in order to avoid incurring unnecessary costs and safeguard their own interests. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Upon liaison with Police, the Housing Department will remove burnt scaffolding on the external walls of Wang Cheong House, Wang Tai House and Wang Sun House at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, starting this Friday.

Meanwhile, the Buildings Department’s orders to remove scaffold nets has all been complied with. It will announce a new set of arrangements within this week requiring scaffold nets used at construction sites to be sampled on-site and certified as compliant with the relevant standards prior to installation, so that the relevant external wall work can resume as soon as possible.

Financial support

As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.1 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.4 billion.

The fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1,717 cases had been processed.

The fund will also provide the families of each deceased victim with a $200,000 token of solidarity, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 109 cases had been processed.

Furthermore, the Government announced today that a new special one-off grant of $100,000 under the fund will be provided to flat owners at all the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court.

Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,980 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service.

Accommodation arrangements

As of this morning, a total of 1,435 residents had been accommodated under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 2,677 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society.

Separately, the temporary shelter at Tai Po Community Centre has ceased operation as users there have all relocated to the emergency accommodation arranged by the Government. The temporary shelter at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall will remain in operation until existing users have moved to the emergency accommodation.

Relief supplies

On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,700 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. Over 16,300 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed.

Regulation work 

The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit has inspected the scaffoldings at Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po and Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan. The contractor concerned has completed removing all the miscellaneous items on the scaffolding.

As of 4pm today, the Labour Department had inspected 404 construction sites, issued a total of 210 written warnings and 104 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu, accompanied by his wife and colleagues, visited the new office of The Epoch Times to offer congratulations on the relocation and was warmly welcomed by President Lilian Fan.
Director General Wu stated that The Epoch Times has long adhered to professional journalism and in-depth reporting, accompanying countless readers around the world through many significant moments in history. With the move to a brand-new workspace, he expressed confidence that the newspaper will continue to deliver more diverse, insightful, and heartwarming content, contributing greater positive energy to society. He further expressed anticipation for seeing more outstanding stories and coverage from the new premises and pledged continued collaboration with The Epoch Times in upholding truth and advancing societal progress.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport Department (TD) today said it received over 100 applications, referred by the Mainland authority, on the first day of applications for the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Entry into the Urban Area), from eligible Guangdong private cars.

The Guangdong Provincial Government conducted the first ballot round on November 23, with 2,388 people registered, exceeding the pre-set quota of 1,700.

These 1,700 successful applicants started submitting their applications to the Guangdong Provincial Government gradually from yesterday.

After preliminary vetting by the Mainland authority, the application information will be passed to the TD for further vetting and processing of permit application.

When the applicants complete all the required application procedures, such as vehicle inspection, verification of e-contact means, obtaining insurance, and then submitting valid documents via the application system, the TD will issue an electronic permit and approval letter to the successful applicants.

They can then make a travel booking online before entry into Hong Kong. Starting from 0.00am on December 23, the approved Guangdong private cars with confirmed travel bookings can enter Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The TD is working closely with the Mainland authority to expedite the processing of applications. It reminded the applicants to complete each application step on time to speed up the approval process.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The “Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”, at its first meeting today, agreed to launch a new special grant under the fund to provide $100,000 to each of the flat owners at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, who chaired the meeting, said: “Since its establishment, the support fund has implemented various support measures to assist residents in addressing their urgent needs and rebuilding their lives, providing long-term and sustained support.

“The new flat owner grant will provide immediate assistance to owners of the affected flats, including those who rented out their properties.”

Donations received so far by the support fund have reached about $3.1 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.4 billion.

Donors to the support fund can claim and be allowed tax deductions of such donations during the relevant assessment year.

To facilitate members of the public, donations made to the fund through bank transfer with an amount of $50,000 or below will be eligible for tax deductions without the requirement of official receipts. Donors are required to retain the relevant donation receipts for verification.

Detailed arrangements will be announced here on December 15.

The steering committee, convened by the Deputy Chief Secretary, is responsible for advising on matters such as the fund’s operation as well as supervising and monitoring the establishment and implementation of support measures under the fund.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD) conducted a large-scale emergency exercise, code-named “Concord XXIV”, at Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution today (December 10). The exercise simulated a series of incidents, which included mass indiscipline by persons in custody (PICs), a hostage-taking situation, a PIC escape attempt, assaults on CSD staff, a fire and the discovery of explosives.

     The exercise aimed to review the response capabilities of various CSD units when handling emergencies. These included command and communication capabilities at the scene, the effectiveness of implementing contingency plans at different tiers according to the developments of emergency situations and the effectiveness of emergency responses as well as information dissemination at departmental levels. The exercise also tested the CSD’s co-ordination with other government departments when responding to emergencies. This exercise also included the use of emergency evacuation procedures in the event of a fire at a correctional institution.

     A total of more than 150 staff members from different government departments, including the Correctional Emergency Response Team and the Regional Response Team, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Government Flying Service, took part in the exercise.

     The Acting Assistant Commissioner of Correctional Services (Operations), Mr Hung Ka-lok, was in charge of the whole exercise at the CSD’s Central Control Centre in Stanley. Mr Hung said that the exercise enhanced the response capabilities of the CSD and the effectiveness of its emergency support. It also ensured effective communication and co-operation between different government departments.

     The CSD holds regular emergency exercises of different scales, including those at institutional, regional and departmental levels, with a view to ensuring that staff members are capable of handling different types of incidents, thereby safeguarding national security, providing a safe and secure custodial environment for PICs and maintaining Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po convened its first meeting today (December 10). The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing. 
 
The Committee noted the management arrangements for the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, as well as the latest progress of the support measures provided to residents and other affected persons as previously agreed. The Committee also agreed to launch a new special grant under the Fund to provide $100,000 to each of the flat owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. 
 
Mr Cheuk said, “Since its establishment, the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has implemented various support measures to assist residents in addressing their urgent needs and rebuilding their lives, providing long-term and sustained support. The new flat owner grant will provide immediate assistance to owners of the affected flats, including those who rented out their properties.”
 
The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was established on November 27, 2025, pursuant to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Incorporation Ordinance (Cap. 1044). Donations received so far amount to about $3.1 billion. With the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund’s total has now reached around $3.4 billion. The Fund’s accounts will be submitted to the Director of Audit for audit pursuant to the requirements stipulated in the Ordinance. The Fund’s report will also be tabled to the Legislative Council.
 
The Steering Committee on the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, convened by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, is responsible for advising on matters such as the operation of the Fund, as well as supervising and monitoring the establishment and implementation of support measures under the Fund. The terms of reference of the Committee are:
 

1. To advise on the overall strategy, operation and procedures of the Support Fund;
2. To advise on the management and allocation of the Support Fund;
3. To oversee the usage of the Support Fund and the implementation progress of the support measures; and
4. To advise on other matters relating to the Support Fund.

 
The Committee comprises:
 
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (Convenor)
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Housing
Secretary for Health
Director of Information Services
Director of Social Welfare
Director of Home Affairs

Donations made to the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po are regarded as approved charitable donations made to the Government for charitable purposes. Donors can claim and be allowed tax deductions of such donations during the relevant year of assessment. To facilitate members of the public, donations made to the Fund through bank transfer with an amount of $50,000 or below will be eligible for tax deductions without the requirement of official receipts. Donors are required to retain the relevant donation receipts for verification. The detailed arrangements will be announced on the Government’s thematic website on Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (www.taipofire.gov.hk/eng/fund.html) on Monday (December 15).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the Department of Health (DH) will commence phased operations tomorrow (December 11). Equipped with advanced technology and equipment, the new premises will enhance the ability to develop Chinese medicines (CM) testing methods and standard development capabilities, supporting the comprehensive and high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The Chinese Medicines Herbarium, which opens in the first phase, showcases approximately 3 500 CM specimens, including a number of precious specimens gifted to Hong Kong by the national authorities. Together with the outdoor medicinal plant garden, the Shennong Herbal Garden, these facilities will be available for group reservations for free guided tours starting tomorrow.

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said, “Established in 2017, the GCMTI under the DH is dedicated to establishing internationally recognised reference standards for CM and their testing methods. Through technology transfer, the GCMTI shares its achievements to assist the industry in adopting advanced technologies to enhance CM product quality and strengthen quality control in production. The opening of the permanent premises will allow for more efficient use of resources. This will further promote the enhancement of CM quality in Hong Kong, strengthen local and international co-operation and exchange, and promote high-quality development of Chinese medicine to go global.”

The permanent premises of the GCMTI are located at 3 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, adjacent to The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, representing two flagship institutions for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The new building features the following four key components:

1. State-of-the-art laboratories
Equipped with four specialties of advanced laboratories and over 3 300 pieces of laboratory equipment and information technology equipment, the laboratories will utilise cutting-edge technology to support the development of innovative, faster, more accurate, and highly versatile testing methods for CM.

2. International Collaboration and Training Centre
Featuring multidisciplinary training and technology transfer laboratories, the new premises are designed to strengthen exchange and collaboration with relevant Mainland and international organisations in the field of CM testing technologies. It also serves as a training base for DH to support its role as the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine.

3. Chinese Medicines Herbarium and Laboratories (CMHL)
The CMHL will exhibit about 3 500 specimens. Among them are over 300 representative and precious specimens from various regions, gifted by the National Medical Products Administration. These include giant wild Astragali Radix and Cistanches Herba. Through the systematic display of these specimens, visitors will be able to understand the complete lifecycle of CM, from source plants and Chinese medicinal materials to decoction pieces ready for clinical applications and proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm), thereby enhancing public knowledge of and interest in CM. The CMHL has a special design that allows visitors to observe the work inside the laboratories. Schools and groups interested in visiting may make reservations via email at gcmti@dh.gov.hk starting from tomorrow.

4. Shennong Herbal Garden
Covering approximately 700 square metres, this medicinal plant garden showcases around 180 species of medicinal plants, with a storyline on Lingnan region’s “Local Herbal Tea” and “Seasonal Soup”. It aims to promote Chinese medicine culture and knowledge while actively advocating healthy lifestyles. Currently, the Shennong Herbal Garden is only open for school and group reservations (same reservation method as above), with public access to be announced later.

One of the GCMTI’s key accomplishments is the implementation of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, covering reference standards for over 340 Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) to date. Supported by the GCMTI’s Advisory Committee, the GCMTI has also completed dozens of thematic projects that utilise cutting-edge technologies, including the development of versatile testing methods for chemical markers in pCm, micro-morphological identifications of CM, and the establishment of a three-dimensional (3D) image database for traceable medicinal materials through photogrammetry. The phased commissioning of the new building’s facilities marks a comprehensive upgrade of the DH in CM testing, standard setting and technology transfer.

Dr Lam added, “With the new premises, our multidisciplinary team of experts will continue to actively promote the inheritance and innovative development of Chinese medicine, deepening its integration into the national development strategy in Chinese medicine and fostering the comprehensive, high-quality development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. This new facility will not only serve as a hub for CM testing and standard setting but will also bear the important responsibility of disseminating Chinese medicine culture. Through the CM specimens, the Shennong Herbal Garden and professional guided tours, we will bridge the gap between the public and Chinese medicine.”

Specimens of the GCMTI and its global-first 3D CMM images can be viewed at the Digital Herbarium for Chinese Medicines (www.cmherbarium.gov.hk).