MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government announced today (November 28) the reappointment of two serving members and the appointment of two new members to the Hospital Authority (HA) for a period of two years from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2027.

     The serving members reappointed are Ms Maisy Ho Chiu-ha and Mr Wan Man-yee, while the two newly appointed members are Mr John Kwong Ka-sing and Mr Victor Lam Wai-kiu. 

     Mr Kwong is the Vice-President for Development of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. 

     Mr Lam is the former Government Chief Information Officer. He is currently a member of the Public Service Commission, the Advisory Committee on Post-service Employment of Civil Servants, and the Committee of the Artificial Intelligence Subsidy Scheme.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, welcomed the two new members to the HA. He also expressed gratitude to the serving members reappointed and extended heartfelt thanks to the two outgoing members, Mr Duncan Chiu and Mr Billy Wong Wing-hoo, for their invaluable contributions to the HA. 
 
     The HA comprises a Chairman, 22 non-official members, three public officers and one principal officer from the HA. The membership list to be effective from December 1, 2025, is as follows:

Chairman
———— 
Mr Henry Fan Hung-ling

Non-official members
————————-
Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen 
Professor Anthony Chan Tak-cheung
Ms Margaret Cheng Wai-ching 
Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan
Ms Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan
Ms Anita Fung Yuen-mei 
Ms Maisy Ho Chiu-ha
Ms Mary Huen Wai-yi
Ms Tennessy Hui Mei-sheung
Mr Jat Sew-tong
Mr Matthew Kwok Pui-ho
Mr John Kwong Ka-sing
Mr Victor Lam Wai-kiu
Mrs Sylvia Lam Yu Ka-wai
Professor Lau Chak-sing
Professor David Shum Ho-keung 
Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai
Mr Anthony Tsang Hin-fun
Dr Thomas Tsang Ho-fai
Mr Wan Man-yee
Professor Janet Wong Yuen-ha
Professor Zhang Zhang-jin

Public Officers
—————–
Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan
Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam
Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) Ms Ann Chan

HA Principal Officer
———————–
Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Libby Lee

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

To support schools and students to cope with the impact of the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po, the Education Bureau today said that it will provide a Special Incident Assistance Grant of $100,000 to each primary and secondary school (including special schools) and $50,000 to each kindergarten in the district.

Schools may flexibly deploy the grant to give students, teachers and parents appropriate assistance, which includes providing psychological counselling services and purchasing learning-related items for affected students.

In addition, the Jockey Club, with the assistance of schools, will offer $5,000 to each affected student through the Jockey Club Emergency Relief Fund to address their immediate learning needs.

The bureau will hold five online seminars in Chinese on psychological support for special incidents tomorrow and on Sunday for teachers and parents.

The seminars aim to assist school personnel and parents in taking care of students/children with traumatic experiences. Speakers include a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker.

If any school premises have been damaged due to the fire, the bureau will provide repair services through emergency repair works as soon as possible to ensure its safety.

The bureau added that its educational psychologists and District School Development Sections officers will continue to maintain close contact with the schools and provide necessary assistance.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The value of residential mortgage loans approved in October was $31.3 billion, broadly unchanged compared with September, the Monetary Authority announced today.

Among these, mortgage loans financing primary market transactions decreased 2.1% to $12.4 billion, while those financing secondary market transactions increased 3.4% to $16 billion.

Loans for refinancing fell 8.4% to $3 billion.

Mortgage loans drawn down during October amounted to $20.1 billion, a 3.5% drop from September.

The number of mortgage applications in October dipped 0.7% to 8,255.

The outstanding value of mortgage loans increased 0.8% month-on-month to $1.9074 trillion at end-October.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

In view of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that has caused multiple casualties, the Chief Executive convened another meeting today to co-ordinate all policy bureaus and departments, actively advancing the response efforts in four key areas: extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped residents; treating the injured; providing post-incident support; and conducting a comprehensive investigation.

Among the eight buildings in Wang Fuk Court, the fires in seven affected blocks are largely under control. The Fire Services Department (FSD) is continuing its full effort in completing the search and rescue and firefighting operations on the remaining floors. During the blaze, the department received 346 requests for assistance and handled 296 of them.

The Primary Healthcare Commission co-ordinated professionals from the public and private medical sectors to set up medical stations at all temporary shelters. The medical stations provide medical assistance for residents in need from 8am to 8pm daily, assisting in managing non-emergency medical needs.

As for post-incident support, the Chief Executive has instructed the Civil Service Bureau to activate the “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism to ensure sufficient manpower for all necessary follow-up actions. All government-organised celebratory events will be cancelled or postponed, and officials will reduce attendance at non-essential public activities so as to focus on relief and recovery efforts.

The Government will arrange memorial activities, including flying flags at half-mast at government buildings, holding memorial services and setting up condolence books for the public.

To meet the short to medium-term accommodation needs of affected residents, the Government has opened nine shelters, which are currently being used by over 500 residents.

The Home & Youth Affairs Bureau has liaised with youth hostels and hotels, which will provide around 1,000 units for affected residents to stay in immediately for one to two weeks. Resources are being co-ordinated for transitional housing and dedicated rehousing units from the Housing Society, with an estimated 1,800 units to be made available later to meet the residents’ needs.

In addition, the Social Welfare Department has mobilised social workers, clinical psychologists and support staff to provide “one social worker per household” assistance, including emotional support, financial assistance, and residential care and occasional child care services. The department will closely liaise with relevant departments to offer necessary assistance to those affected.

The Education Bureau has immediately contacted the school heads associations in Tai Po and schools near Wang Fuk Court to co-ordinate class suspension arrangements for the affected schools. It has also deployed staff to give emotional support to students at the temporary shelters.

Starting tonight, the Government will provide an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to each affected household as immediate relief. It has concurrently established the “Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”, allocating $300 million as start-up capital to assist residents and support all relevant work.

The fund started to accept donations at 7pm. Its designated bank accounts at the Bank of China (Hong Kong) are: Hong Kong dollar donation account 012-875-2-190159-7 and foreign-currency donation account 012-875-2-190160-7.

As for funeral arrangements for the deceased, if affected residents require cremation services or columbarium niches, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will make special arrangements and provide full support.

Police have arrested two male directors and a male engineering consultant of a construction company, and seized for further inspection the materials at the scene that may not have met regulatory standards. Once the fire is extinguished and on-site safety is confirmed, Police will co-ordinate with the FSD to gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze.

Separately, the Buildings Department (BD) and the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit have issued a letter to all registered building professionals and registered contractors, requiring them to review relevant records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds for ongoing projects.

The letter recipients must submit a report to the BD within seven days, after which the department will conduct audit checks. At the same time, the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) has required contractors of building projects under public works contracts to review and submit the aforesaid information within seven days. The ArchSD will also conduct audit checks.

Additionally, the BD has launched a special operation to inspect all buildings that are undergoing external wall renovations with scaffolding and protective nets. It will proactively check the records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds, and collect samples for testing.

The registered contractor responsible for the maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court is currently involved in 11 other private residential building projects. The BD has inspected the relevant sites and will take appropriate follow-up action.

The Development Bureau has discussed with the industry the roadmap for advancing the replacement of bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding. The bureau also requested the industry’s co-operation with the inspection and audit checks. The BD will review the relevant requirements, guidelines and legislation regulating the erection of scaffolding, be they metal or bamboo, and associated protective nets, and will consider if there is a need for strengthening or enhancement.

As at 8pm today, the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po has resulted in 65 deaths and 77 injuries, including one fireman among the deceased.

To better co-ordinate follow-up action, the Government has established three working groups to take forward the relevant work: an inspection and regulatory working group led by the Chief Secretary, an emergency assistance and fundraising group led by the Deputy Chief Secretary and an emergency residential arrangement working group led by the Deputy Financial Secretary.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On the afternoon of November 27, President Lai Ching-te presided over the sixth meeting of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee. In his opening statement, the president expressed his gratitude for the Taiwan e-Hospital online medical consultation website established by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the “100 Doctors Forum” program released by the Cih Yue Charity Foundation, all accomplished with the support of various ministries, agencies, and experts, noting that these initiatives not only raise the public’s health literacy but also demonstrate the achievements of cross-sector cooperation.
President Lai noted that Taiwan has become a super-aged society, and that with dramatic increases in demand for long-term care, the government is launching the Long-term Care 3.0 Plan to achieve the vision for healthy aging, aging in place, and dignified end-of-life care. In addition, the president stated that starting from the global governance context of One Health, we are proposing an integrated national epidemic prevention policy, in the hope of protecting the health of the people of Taiwan and enhancing societal resilience through public-private cooperation.
A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows:
Today is the sixth meeting of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee. I would like to thank all the advisors and committee members for their many valuable suggestions over the past year, helping the administrative team, civil society groups, and front-line healthcare personnel jointly promote Healthy Taiwan policies. For example, at the third committee meeting in February this year, I mentioned that a Healthy Taiwan e-learning platform should be established to improve public awareness of various diseases by drawing on the knowledge of experts in various fields.
Now, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has set up a Taiwan e-Hospital website that incorporates 32 hospitals, covers 33 clinical departments such as internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and dermatology, and includes a total of over 200 attending physicians, nutritionists, pharmacists, and nurses who provide free online medical consultations.
The “100 Doctors Forum” program, filmed with resources from the private Cih Yue Charity Foundation, also came online at the end of October. The program addresses the top ten causes of death in Taiwan and other common diseases, inviting the top 100 physicians with the most public trust and clinical experience in the country to deliver accurate and practical health knowledge in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
These advances crystalize the wisdom and efforts of all the advisors and committee members, and here I would like to thank the experts from various fields for their generous advice. I also want to thank the administrative team for actively implementing those initiatives, making our vision a reality.
In addition to a status report on items listed at the last meeting, today’s agenda also includes two reports from the MOHW on the Long-term Care 3.0 Plan and the integrated national epidemic prevention policy.
Beginning in 2007, Taiwan began promoting the National Ten-year Long-term Care Plan. Over the past 18 years, that plan has upheld the principles of diversified accessibility and aging in place, broadly distributing service resources and expanding the number of services available so that the public can enjoy convenient and affordable services.
Especially after the Long-term Care 2.0 Plan was implemented in 2017, long-term care expenditures and caregiver workforce, as well as the number of patients served and long-term care service sites have all grown dramatically. Taiwan’s long-term care system is now better, more affordable, and more accessible. The system has a service satisfaction rating of up to 90 percent and is widely praised by the public.
But we cannot let these achievements make us complacent. This year, Taiwan has become a super-aged society, and with a rapidly growing elderly population, long-term care programs face many severe challenges. We will therefore proactively launch Long-term Care 3.0 next year to enhance all aspects of long-term care.
We will adopt a human-centered and community-based approach, and achieve our health promotion and active rehabilitation goals through various forward-looking, effective strategies. We will also introduce smart care, bolster family support, and increase the capacity of institutions, so that medical care can be more closely integrated.
Today we will hear a report presenting a complete plan to respond to the long-term care service needs and diversified challenges of the future, thereby achieving the Long-term Care 3.0 vision for healthy aging, aging in place, and dignified end-of-life care.
In addition to the challenges of a super-aged society, emerging infectious pathogens, climate change, and ecosystem changes in recent years have also impacted human, animal, and plant health. Avian flu, mad cow disease, COVID-19, and dengue fever are all familiar infectious diseases, and they are all closely connected to the ecosystem.
Faced with complex and ever-changing circumstances, we must start from the global governance context of One Health and propose an integrated national epidemic prevention policy that sees the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment as a whole. We must combine cross-ministry and cross-domain expertise to form a “community of action,” integrate institutional frameworks, and propose integrated cross-departmental countermeasures. We must also be proactive to protect the health of the people of Taiwan and enhance societal resilience.
The Healthy Taiwan initiative requires the participation of all citizens. Once again, I want to thank all the advisors and committee members for doing their utmost and contributing their expertise to enable the government to plan policies from a more diverse perspective. I would also like to thank the administrative team and civil society groups for actively implementing various policies through public-private cooperation, and working together for the health of the people of Taiwan. Thank you.
Following his statement, President Lai heard a report on the progress of certain items listed in the fifth committee meeting from Deputy Executive Secretary and MOHW Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良), a report on the Long-term Care 3.0 Plan from MOHW Deputy Minister Lue Jen-der (呂建德), and a report on the integrated national epidemic prevention policy from MOHW Deputy Minister Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥). Afterward, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Labour Department (LD) said today (November 27) that it is deeply saddened by the fire incident at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The LD extends its deepest condolences to those who tragically lost their lives and wishes all the injured a speedy recovery.

The LD also extends its heartfelt sympathies to the families and employers of the foreign domestic helpers (FDH) who lost their lives in the incident. Affected FDH employers and FDHs who have any enquiries regarding employment matters may call the LD’s dedicated hotline set up for this incident at 3582 8987 (for FDH-related matters), or 2929 4054.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

A spokesperson for the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau stated today (November 27) that in order to provide relief to residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the Special Administrative Region Government set up a “Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po” with a start-up capital of $300 million dollars to render assistance to residents of Wang Fuk Court and support all relevant works.

The Support Fund will receive donations from individuals and private organisations. Details of the relevant designated accounts are as follows:

Hong Kong Dollar: Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited account number: 012-875-2-190159-7 (Account name: Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po)

Renminbi and other currencies: Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited account number: 012-875-2-190160-7 (Account name: Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po)

The spokesman said, “We would like to express our gratitude to the many charitable organisations and members of the public who are planning to donate supplies to the affected residents and help them through this difficult time. The available supplies for the next few days are sufficient.”

To better address the needs of the residents in the next phase, the Government is now co-ordinating with the information technology sector to establish an online platform as soon as possible. This platform will allow relevant organisations and members of the public to register the items they can donate, enabling the Government to better consolidate the information and distribute the supplies to residents in need when necessary. The platform is expected to be completed within the coming days. At this stage, organisations and members of the public can register their details and the supplies they can donate via WhatsApp at 9213 2388, so that the Government can consolidate the information and contact the relevant parties when needed.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Labour Department (LD)’s spokesman today (November 27) said that the department is highly concerned about the No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, yesterday (November 26). The LD is saddened that the fire has caused multiple casualties and expresses its deepest sympathies to the victims’ families and the injured persons.

The LD will launch a two-week territory-wide special enforcement operation tomorrow, targeting the fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding erected. This includes checking if protective screens (also known as scaffold nets) are in compliance with recognised standards for fire-retardant materials to ensure work safety. Meanwhile, the LD will also work with the Buildings Department to inspect buildings undergoing major external wall repairs with large-scale bamboo scaffolds erected so as to ensure that scaffold nets installed on the scaffolds comply with the requirements of relevant Code of Practice/Guidance Notes.

If any violations of the legislation are detected during the inspection exercise, occupational safety officers of the LD will take rigorous enforcement actions, including issuing suspension notices and improvement notices, and taking out prosecutions without prior warning, in order to deter unsafe operations.

Due to the recent dry weather, the LD strongly urges and warns all contractors that they should take notice of the fire risk of the site, particularly the need to enhance the fire safety of the bamboo scaffold, to ensure relevant materials are in compliance with the fire safety standards and clear up the debris regularly; smoking at site areas is strictly prohibited. While conducting hot work processes (such as welding and flame-cutting which may produce sparks), the safety measures devised from relevant risk assessment should be strictly followed, and sufficient and effective firefighting equipment should be in place. Contractors should further step up fire safety management to prevent fire incidents, ensure the safety of construction sites and workers and avoid recurrence of yesterday’s tragic fire in Tai Po .

The LD also appeals to employers to be considerate to employees who are unable to work as usual due to the impact of the Tai Po fire, and to provide flexible work arrangements wherever possible to help them through this difficult period. Employers and employees may call the dedicated hotline 2929 4054 in case of enquiries on employment-related matters.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

A Government spokesman said today (November 27) that, in view of the No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that has caused multiple casualties, the Chief Executive convened another cross-departmental meeting this morning to co-ordinate all policy bureaux and departments, actively advancing the response efforts in four key areas: extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped residents, treating the injured, providing post-incident support, and conducting a comprehensive investigation.

In terms of rescue efforts, among the eight buildings in Wang Fuk Court, the fires in seven affected blocks are largely under control. The Fire Services Department (FSD) is continuing its full effort to complete the search and rescue and firefighting operations on the remaining floors. During the fire, the FSD received 346 requests for assistance and has handled 296 of them.

On medical support, the Primary Healthcare Commission co-ordinated professionals from the public and private medical sectors, including over 250 doctors and more than 250 other healthcare professionals from the private sector, to set up medical stations at all temporary shelters. The medical stations provide appropriate medical assistance for residents in need from 8am to 8pm daily, including basic medical assessments and referral services, treatment of mild injuries, drug prescriptions (including necessary medication refills based on one’s medical history), and psychological support, with a view to assisting in managing non-emergency medical needs.

As for post-incident support, the Chief Executive has instructed the Civil Service Bureau to activate the “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism to ensure sufficient manpower for all necessary follow-up actions. Meanwhile, all government-organised celebratory events will be cancelled or postponed, and officials will reduce attendance at non-essential public activities to focus on relief and recovery efforts. The Government will arrange memorial activities, including flying flags at half-mast at government buildings, holding memorial services and setting up condolence books to allow the public to express their sorrow and condolences. Further details will be announced later.

To meet the short- and medium-term accommodation needs of affected residents, the Government has opened nine shelters, which are currently being used by over 500 residents. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau has contacted youth hostels and hotels, which will provide around 1 000 units for affected residents to stay in immediately for one to two weeks. The Government is also co-ordinating resources for transitional housing and dedicated rehousing units from the Hong Kong Housing Society, with an estimated 1 800 units to be made available later to meet the accommodation needs of the affected residents.

In addition, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has mobilised social workers, clinical psychologists and support staff to provide “one social worker per household” assistance to affected residents, including emotional support, financial assistance, and residential care and occasional child care services. The SWD will maintain close liaison with relevant government departments to provide all necessary assistance to those affected.

The Education Bureau (EDB) immediately contacted the school heads associations in Tai Po and schools near Wang Fuk Court to co-ordinate class suspension arrangements for the affected schools. It also deployed staff to the temporary shelters to provide emotional support for affected students. The EDB will maintain close communication with the school heads associations and schools in the district, and continue to provide them with necessary assistance and support services.

Starting tonight, the Government will provide an emergency cash subsidy of HK$10,000 to each affected household to offer immediate relief. At the same time, the Government has established the “Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”, allocating HK$300 million as start-up capital to assist residents and support all relevant work. The fund began accepting donations from 7pm this evening. Its designated bank accounts at the Bank of China (Hong Kong) are: HKD donation account 012-875-2-190159-7 and foreign-currency donation account 012-875-2-190160-7, enabling contributions from all sectors of the community to support the victims.

As for funeral arrangements for the deceased, if affected residents require cremation services or columbarium niches, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will make special arrangements and provide full support.

Regarding investigations, Police arrested two male directors and a male engineering consultant of a construction company in the small hours today. They are being detained for further enquiries. Police have also seized for further inspection materials at the scene that may not have met regulatory standards. Once the fire is extinguished and on-site safety is confirmed, Police will co-ordinate with the FSD to gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Separately, the Buildings Department (BD) and the Independent Checking Unit of the Housing Bureau today issued a letter to all registered building professionals and registered contractors requiring them to review relevant records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds for ongoing projects (buildings under construction or existing buildings under maintenance). They must submit a report to the BD within seven days, after which the BD will conduct audit checks. At the same time, the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) has required contractors of building projects under public works contracts to review and submit the above-mentioned information within seven days. The ArchSD will also conduct audit checks.

The BD also launched today a special operation to inspect in batches all existing buildings that are currently undergoing external wall renovations with scaffolding and protective nets. The BD will proactively check the records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds, and collect samples for testing. Regarding sample testing, the Government is also appealing for assistance from the Mainland to enhance testing capacity.

The registered contractor responsible for the maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court is currently involved in 11 other private residential building projects. The BD inspected the relevant sites today and will take any appropriate follow-up action.

In addition, the Development Bureau (DEVB) today met with the industry to discuss the roadmap for advancing the replacement of bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding. At the meeting, the DEVB also requested the industry’s co-operation with the above-mentioned inspection and audit checks. The BD will review the relevant requirements, guidelines and legislation regulating the erection of scaffolding (whether metal or bamboo) and associated protective nets, and will consider whether there is a need for strengthening or enhancement.

As at 8pm today, the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po has resulted in 65 deaths and 77 injuries, including one fireman among the deceased. To better co-ordinate the follow-up actions, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has established three working groups, namely an inspection and regulatory working group led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, an emergency assistance and fundraising group led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, and an emergency residential arrangement working group led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, and has been actively taking forward the relevant work.