The democratic credentials of Hong Kong's district councils have come under renewed scrutiny after it emerged that seven out of 68 appointed councillors have their offices outside the area they represent, making it more difficult for their constituents to access them.
They include Eastern district council's Michael Li Hon-shing and Baldwin Cheng Shing-fung, who rent offices in Tsim Sha Tsui and Happy Valley respectively.
Kwai Tsing district council chairman Fong Ping's office is in Hung Hom.
Political scientist Dixon Sing Ming, from the University of Science and Technology, said that if a councillor's office is not in his district "there is a greater chance that he won't be able to reflect the views of local residents".
The scrutiny of the appointed councillors' office arrangements comes after the Sunday Morning Post reported last week that some elected district councillors could not afford to keep an office in their constituency, leaving voters having to travel far to see them.
In defence of his decision to rent an office in Tsim Sha Tsui, Li said an appointee's performance must not be judged solely by where his or her offices were.