Tai Po district councilor Peggy Wong Pik-kiu was absent from council meetings again on Tuesday, citing illness, as controversy continues over proxy authorization forms linked to deceased owners at Wang Fuk Court.
Her latest absence came after a media investigation last month reported that a proxy form collected by Wong’s team appeared to have been submitted in the name of a resident who had died 11 months before the relevant owners’ meeting, raising suspicions that documents may have been falsified.
Wong, a former adviser to the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation, did not attend meetings at the Tai Po District Council on Tuesday, including the full council meeting and a working group meeting on boosting the local economy.
Tai Po District Officer Tiffany Chung Wai-ting said the council secretariat had received a medical certificate from Wong.
It marked Wong’s second illness-related absence from a council meeting since the proxy controversy emerged. She also missed a working group meeting on building management on August 20 because she was unwell.
Wong has largely stayed out of public view since the allegations surfaced, with fellow district councilors saying they had not seen her recently.
DAB Tai Po branch chairman and district councilor Wu Cheuk-him said he only learned during Tuesday’s meeting that Wong was unwell and had not yet asked her about her condition.
He said he had not seen Wong recently as the two rarely met outside council meetings. He added that he understood her previous absence was not due to a common cold.
The Home Affairs Department earlier said it had referred media reports concerning the proxy forms to the relevant law-enforcement authorities for appropriate follow-up.
Asked whether Wong had been approached by police or other authorities, Wu said he was not aware of her having been invited to assist with an investigation.
He declined to comment further on the proxy controversy while the matter was being followed up by the authorities.
Wu said the DAB had not issued specific internal instructions regarding the collection of proxy forms, but reiterated the party’s position that any unlawful conduct involving its members would be dealt with seriously and fairly.
Asked whether repeated media inquiries over the controversy had become a burden, Wu said responding to reporters was part of his work and did not trouble him.
