The Independent Committee of the Hong Kong Tai Po Wang Fook Yuen fire held its third round of the first hearing today (20th).
Wang Fook Yuen owner corporation’s 12th management committee member, Jiang Xiangfa, testified first. He mentioned that he had tried to run for the owner corporation in every term, but the old owner corporation had “fixed votes,” making it difficult to succeed until May 2024 when he was successfully elected with a high number of votes thanks to the recommendation by the former committee member Mo Wahman.
Regarding the vote on the contractor at the beginning of 2024, Jiang mentioned that only about 200 people attended the meeting that day, with members of the DAB, including Wong Bik Kiu, present. Jiang stated that Wong Bik Kiu’s team was not very friendly to the neighbors, describing them as “yelling at the neighbors and obstructing them.” He also mentioned an incident where a neighbor asked to retrieve their ballot but was unable to do so as it was taken by a non-resident woman. Wong Bik Kiu dismissed it as a misunderstanding. Jiang revealed that the neighbor’s mother had signed on behalf of the neighbor, leading to the neighbor not following up on it.
Representing the Independent Committee, barrister Tam Kamkwun questioned why some testimonies indicated dissatisfaction with the former chairman Deng Guoguang, yet he was still elected. Jiang explained that Deng just had enough votes to win and believed it was due to the influence of authorized votes.
Jiang Xiangfa served as a secretary in the old owner corporation. He described the old owner corporation as restricting residents from voicing their opinions, with heavy security present at every meeting. The new owner corporation did not have these restrictions, holding weekly project meetings and sharing sessions in the central park of Wang Fook Yuen. He also mentioned that there was no transition between the old and new owner corporations, with Deng saying, “If you overturn me, you will have to deal with it.”
Regarding the phased approach to major maintenance projects, Jiang said that the new owner corporation had discussed with the contractor Hong Yip on a phased project approach. However, Hong Yip claimed that proceeding with all phases simultaneously could expedite the progress but would also increase insurance costs.
On the issue of workers smoking, Jiang mentioned that the owner corporation had requested the consultant to address this at a meeting. He stated that he had witnessed workers being fined or asked to leave for smoking but felt that it did not address residents’ demands. He suggested imposing fines on Hong Yip in a tiered manner for smoking offenses, to which Hong Yip responded by enhancing training and reviewing the situation. Jiang agreed that the smoking issue had not significantly improved.
Jiang Xiangfa also mentioned the decision at the May 2024 owner’s meeting to appoint the vice-chairman of the corporation. He revealed that he was the first to volunteer but was assigned as the second candidate while his opponent, Chan Takshing, was the first. A neighbor in charge of overseeing the voting informed Jiang that some ballots were marked with number one for all positions, including chairman, treasurer, and secretary. This raised suspicions of pre-filled ballots, prompting Jiang to complain to the Home Affairs Department, which later decided on the candidate numbering through lucky draw.
Resident lawyer Tam Chungkit, representing the Independent Committee, focused on Jiang’s statement in the testimony regarding Wong Bik Kiu’s collection of authorization votes in street stations in July and August 2024. Wong claimed to assist owners in applying for subsidies without mentioning the asset inspections required for the application.
Tam Kamkwun pointed out that Wong Bik Kiu admitted to collecting over 20 authorization votes. However, Jiang questioned the method of gathering the votes through door-to-door campaigns, expressing reservations about the numbers given.
Moving on to the firefighting water tank project, Jiang noted that Hong Yip proposed adding another tank on the rooftop but expressed concerns about the rooftop’s capacity. The committee did not discuss the possibility of the tanks leaking. Jiang mentioned that the committee believed the tank project was a “pre-arranged project” expected to be completed shortly.
He stated that no one raised concerns during the meeting about the maintenance of the firefighting tanks leading to the firefighting system being out of service, as they only discussed adding fire extinguishers as a part of the project. Regarding the firefighting apparatus contractor hired by Hong Yip, “China Development,” Jiang claimed to be unaware of their roles, mentioning that Hung Tai was responsible for the annual fire inspections.
Concerning the foam window-sealing issue, Jiang stated that the new committee had requested Hong Yip to use other more fire-resistant materials for window sealing, while Hong Yip insisted on using the first batch of foam already purchased until the second batch was ready for transition. He also mentioned that during the meeting, director of Hong Yip, Wong Hatachin, stated that the foam was a temporary measure as there were fewer “fire-prone areas” on the scaffolding, and the industry generally used foam.
Moreover, the Independent Review Team (ICU) from the Housing Department conducted tests at Wang Fook Yuen, burning samples of the insulation boards and foam on the spot. The results showed that the boards were fire-resistant, while the foam continued to burn. Tam Kamkwun questioned why the corporation still conducted tests despite seemingly accepting the use of foam, to which Jiang responded that it was meant to warn contractors about the flammability of foam and encourage them to use materials with higher fire resistance.
Regarding the safety nets, Jiang pointed out that both the old and new committees had asked the contractor to provide certification. After burning a sample of the safety nets on-site, it was observed that the nets shrunk but did not catch fire. The committee did not follow up on the certifications until after last year’s typhoon when residents noticed the new nets were of a lighter color. Jiang stated that he had twice requested the certificates without a response and had filed a complaint with the Home Affairs Department hotline 1823. The ICU of the Housing Department replied, noting discrepancies in the external wall protection facilities but did not address compliance or certification issues.
On the issue of stairwell opening, Jiang mentioned that the focus of the discussion at the time was on anti-theft measures rather than fire safety concerns. Referring to the tragic accident that resulted in 168 fatalities, he expressed his deep sorrow. He revealed that he had raised various alarms before the accident, contacting ICU and the Labor Department via numerous emails for inspections, but governmental departments did not carry out their responsibilities.
He called for a review of the major maintenance process by the government and urged key stakeholders, including ICU staff member Lau Kamman, Wong Bik Kiu, former chairman Deng Guoguang, Hong Yip director Hou Wahkin, and Hong Yat director Wong Ha-jen, to come forward and testify to help piece together the puzzle at the hearing.
Furthermore, Jiang mentioned one of the founders of the project consultancy firm for the Wang Fook Yuen maintenance projects, Hon Yat Architects Limited, Shen Judgezhong, signed a report estimating renovation costs prepared by Hon Yat on September 28, 2022. However, a member communication from the JILIHUA Wood Ball Club showed that Shen left us in July of the same year.
Jiang Xiangfa added after the hearing that he found it strange when reviewing the documents in the past month to discover this information. He expressed concerns about Shen Judgezhong’s signature posthumously, mentioning that he had never heard of the position of a Registered Inspector (RI) nor knew who Shen Judgezhong was until the hearing when he learned that Wu Yue later became Hon Yat’s RI.