District election woe dooms care team

Yuen Long's Shui Wah subdistrict has disbanded its care team after running out of resources when a key member failed to secure a district council seat, marking the first setback since the government set up the teams in 2022.

Shui Wah care team captain Ken Chow Wing-kan, a former district councilor, said he doesn't have the resources to run a team. "I was counting on getting myself elected as a Yuen Long councilor, and use the remuneration to cover the team expenses," he said.

However, due to various reasons, Chow, an ex-Liberal Party member, encountered obstacles while trying to secure nominations to run in the district council election held last month.

"I did not receive 'blessings' to run and was eventually unable to secure sufficient nominations. Without a seat, I do not have sufficient resources to cover the costs of operating a care team," Chow said.

"I do not have party backing or anyone providing me with financial support. Given that I am forced to retire, I've no other alternative but to give up," he added.

Chow said he was approached by someone, who tried to persuade him to keep the team service going.

"They told me not to make the government lose face, as that will become a fly in the ointment. But frankly speaking, you can treat this as a silent protest of mine," he said.

"I have to pay for the team's expenses with money from my own pocket, and it costs around HK$240,000 per year. Where would the resources come from?" said Chow, a district councilor since 1994 before losing his seat in 2019, when the pro-democracy camp scored a landslide victory.

"No matter how much expertise or experience you have, this is the new electoral system, I can only obey," he said, adding that he planned to give up on politics

In response to media enquiries, the Home Affairs Department said its Yuen Long office received a notification from the Yuen Long Livelihood Serving Agency last month, saying it would cease operating the Shui Wah care team.

"The department has arranged for a care team from a nearby subdistrict to serve Shui Wah residents and will choose a new operating organization as soon as possible," it said.

According to its website, Shui Wah care team duties will be taken over by a team from the Shui Oi subdistrict that is operated by the Tin Shui Wai Women Association.

The captain of the Shui Oi team is district councilor Tong Tak-chun, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

The Yuen Long Livelihood Serving Agency was selected by the government on September 28 to operate the Shui Wah care team for two years, with the agency's chairman Chow being the team captain.

The team is tasked with visiting residents within the subdistrict, which includes parts of Tin Wah and Tin Shui estates in Tin Shui Wai, providing support services such as maintenance and cleaning service to the needy as well as organizing community activities.