‘Keep it safe and legal’ when reporting public housing abuse, says housing chief

Members of the public should keep it safe and legal when acquiring information that helps authorities evict public housing tenants who break the rules, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Thursday.

Her comments came as a government cash reward scheme offering up to HK$3,000 to people who provide tip-offs about public housing tenancy abuse will begin on January 15.

Read more: Award system for reporting housing abuse set for launch

Speaking on a radio program this morning, the housing chief said citizens should acquire the information safely and legally based on their observations, adding that the tip-offs should be accurate rather than hearsay.

When asked to elaborate on the distribution of the cash reward, Ho said authorities have taken into account various scenarios, such as cases where more than one person provides the same key information.

She said the reward could be shared equally among whistleblowers, while an assessment panel could also make judgments about the amount to be rewarded to individuals based on the effectiveness of the information.

The government official, meanwhile, rejected claims that the reward scheme would disrupt harmony among communities.

People who engage in inappropriate behavior are the ones who disrupt the harmony, whereas the whistleblowers are righteous in stepping up to report them, said Ho.