Monitor misses advisory meetings
The former Urban Council chairman did not attend meetings of an advisory body on food and environmental hygiene for six months.
Dr Ronald Leung Ding-bong - former chairman of the council, which was disbanded at the start of last year - failed to attend four meetings of the Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene between March 1 and September 14.
The council, comprising 16 appointed members, mainly offers advice to the Government on food surveillance, market management and street cleaning.
Dr Leung had pledged with other councillors to continue to monitor the performance of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department when the Urban Council was scrapped. But he only attended half of the 10 meetings from May last year to this month.
Another member, Leonie Ki Man-fung, also only attended half of the meetings.
Former regional councillor Tony Kan Chung-nin and urban councillor Chan Bing-woon attended eight of the meetings.
Grace Lam Wong Pik-har was the only non-official member to attend all of the meetings.
Kam Nai-wai, a former urban councillor and a Central and Western district councillor, said Dr Leung should explain why his attendance was poor.
'As a member appointed by the Government, he should try to do his best. If he finds himself unable to attend the meetings, he should consider whether to quit or not,' he said.
But Mr Kam said the appointed advisory body's lack of transparency failed to provide incentives for members to take part.
'The public is not allowed any room for discussion about the agenda. The media is denied access to its meetings. All these have rendered the council less attractive for members to participate,' he said.
He urged advisory bodies to follow the lead of the district councils to encourage more participation.
Dr Leung failed to return calls seeking comment.
