Inability to collect nominations for not knowing area committee members is a false proposition: Alice Mak

It’s a “false proposition” for people who claim they have been serving the district for a long time to say they don’t know any member from the three area committees, according to Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen. 

Mak’s remarks came after democrats said it was difficult for candidates who wish to stand in the coming district council elections to collect nominations from members of the Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees and District Fire Safety Committees. 

The elections will be held on December 10 and the nomination period will begin next Tuesday (Oct 17). 

Candidates must obtain at least three nominations from each area committee in order to be eligible to stand in the elections. 

In an interview with Chinese newspaper Wen Wei Po, Mak, who has been a member of the Kwai Tsing district council for six terms, says failing to collect nominations from the three area committees is a false proposition. 

She continued that anyone who has been a district councilor knows that the three area committees have a very long history. 

Most of the members are usually school principals, people in charge of welfare organizations, personnel of buildings’ owners’ corporations, and members of district services organizations. 

She found it unbelievable that people who claim to have been serving the district for a long time said they don’t know members of the three committees. She added that those people complain for the sake of complaining. 

Mak also doubted if those people are trying to slander the elections and incite citizens’ hatred towards the government.