Hong Kong councillor resigns after proxy-vote controversy linked to fire estate
Tai Po South district councillor Peggy Wong Pik-kiu has resigned from her elected position and other community roles, citing health reasons. Her departure follows allegations that members of her team collected proxy votes, including one from a deceased flat owner, before a fatal fire at Wang Fuk Court.
Hong Kong district councillor Peggy Wong Pik-kiu has resigned from office and several community positions, citing health reasons amid controversy over alleged proxy-vote collection by her team. The Home Affairs Department announced the resignations on Saturday. Wong also stepped down from the Tai Po South Area Committee and from her role as captain of the Tai Po Kwong Fuk and Plover Cove sub-district care teams.
Wong, a directly elected councillor for Tai Po South affiliated with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, had served on the Tai Po District Council for more than 20 years. The resignation followed her absence from nine consecutive district council meetings. Her absences were attributed to health reasons after a media report alleged that her team had collected a proxy vote from a deceased flat owner.
The Home Affairs Department previously referred the matter to law enforcement agencies for investigation. Wong had acknowledged collecting votes for two meetings in 2021 and 2024, but denied offering benefits in exchange for them. Residents of Wang Fuk Court had also criticised her over allegations that she collected proxy votes and tried to influence owners’ decisions about renovation work at the estate.
Wong later said she would report suspected wrongdoing to police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption. A fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last November lasted 43 hours and killed 168 people, including a firefighter. Nearly 5,000 residents were displaced, according to the supplied report.
Home and Youth Affairs Secretary Alice Mak Mei-kuen said she respected Wong’s decision to resign.
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