BUZZ has taken a consistent view of the long reign of George Ng Sze-fuk as District Councillor for Sai Kung Central, and Chairman of the District Council since 1994. In our last article we said it was time for him to step down. Well, it seems the voters have taken matters into their own hands and kicked him and his accolytes out.
The landslide victory of pan-democratic candidates across Hong Kong in yesterday’s election was reflected in the voting for the Sai Kung District Council. Before the election the balance of power was eight DAB, eight Independents, five Neo-democrats, three NPP/CF, and one FTU. Most of the Independents, NPP/CF and FTU usually aligned with the DAB.
The new Council has a completely different composition. The most astounding results were those of the members of local action groups, like Sai Kung Commons and TKO Shining. (Full results can be seen here). The new line-up is: Pan-democrats 28, DAB 3, ex-officio 1.
Last week BUZZ highlighted the six constituencies in the Sai Kung and Clear Water Bay rural areas. Every one of them was won by a pan-democrat. Sai Kung Central, long the stronghold of George Ng Sze-fuk was won by neophyte Zoe Leung Hin-yan, of Sai Kung Commons by 2,550 votes to 2,137. Pak Sha Wan, where local big-wig Chan Keun-kwan, Chairman of the local Fight Crime Committee for many years, was beaten by Stanley Ho Wai-hong, Labour Party stalwart and Sai Kung Commons activist, who was beaten up in Sai Kung Town during the campaigning, possibly because of his local activism on planning issues. Ho beat Chan by 2,805 votes to 2,109.
In Sai Kung Islands, Debby Chan Ka-lam, another local activist with Sai Kung Commons, beat Philip Li Ka-leung, the incumbent DAB councillor, who was elected unopposed in 2015. Chan got 2,127 votes to Li’s 1,552. Hang Hau East was a three-horse race pitting long-serving (since 2003) incumbent Peter Lau Wai-cheung of DAB against Independent Newman Lau Man-choi and Democrat Party member Ryan Lee Yin-ho. Ryan Lee received 1,850 votes to Peter Lau’s 1,599 and Newman Lau’s 323.
Finally, in Hang Hau West, two newcomers battled it out. The DAB’s Yau Ho-lun, drafted in to replace retiring long serving councillor Yau Yuk-lun, was opposed by TKO-shining activist Yu Tsun Ning. Yu beat Yau by 3,089 votes to 2,078.
Even Tai Po went pan-democrat with 19 seats compared to DAB’s two. That means that Sai Kung North is now represented by Ben Tam, affiliated with Power for Democracy, beating the BPA’s Rex Li by 2,730 votes to 1964.
It remains to be seen if the political earthquake with the overwhelming victory of many local activists and pan-democrat supporters will have any effect on local Sai Kung planning, development and other livelihood issues, especially given the limited scope of the District Councils’ mandate.
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