The owners’ committee of Wang Fuk Court has criticized government departments for failing to intervene earlier over problems during the estate’s major renovation works, as the fire hearing entered its final round.
The Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po began three days of closing submissions at the City Gallery in Central on Wednesday.
In a written submission, the 12th management committee of the Incorporated Owners of Wang Fuk Court, chaired by Tsui Moon-come, said the owners’ corporation had repeatedly lodged complaints with relevant departments, but officials often responded that inspections found no irregularities or shifted responsibility between departments.
The committee said more active and rigorous follow-up by government departments could have provided several opportunities for earlier intervention before the fatal blaze.
It also raised concerns over the use of proxy votes at owners’ meetings involving major expenses or works decisions, saying the number of proxy votes was often far higher than the number of owners attending in person. It said third parties had also collected proxy votes, affecting the representativeness of major resolutions.
The committee said a second management committee was formed after concerns that the main renovation contractor had not clearly disclosed accounts. It added that members of owners’ corporations were volunteers and might not have sufficient engineering knowledge, a limitation commonly faced by such bodies.
The committee urged the government to address fundamental problems in the existing system to prevent similar tragedies.
Separately, ISS EastPoint Properties Limited, the estate’s property manager, said through its counsel Martin Ho that it regretted an incident in which its electrician Lo Kwok-shui accidentally turned off the master switch of the fire service pumps, contributing to the ineffective fire alarms during the incident.
Ho said the electrician had simply assisted in draining fire water tanks at the request of main contractor Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. Limited. He said the fire service contractor engaged by Prestige, Chung Wah Development Engineering Limited, was absent from the scene during the renovation works.
Ho stressed that ISS had no authority to supervise the renovation works. Even when it received residents’ complaints, such as workers smoking, its scope for action was limited.
He also said the law did not empower property managers to monitor the fairness of voting in the selection of major renovation contractors.
ISS welcomed proposed amendments to the Building Management Ordinance to give property management companies powers to monitor vote-counting.
Ho said ISS was deeply saddened by the fire and had listened to the hearings with humility. He added that ISS staff stayed at their posts during the blaze and assisted residents in evacuating before leaving at the last moment.
Meanwhile, committee chairman Justice David Lok Kai-hong said eight parties had filed written closing submissions, including the government, the Competition Commission, the Urban Renewal Authority, nine Wang Fuk Court residents, the 12th management committee, ISS, Victory Fire Engineering Limited and China Status Development and Engineering.
Lok said the committee’s final report to the Chief Executive would set out specific recommendations to prevent similar incidents, while proposals involving government powers would be more directional.
