https://www.scmp.com/rss/522796/feed The latest news and top stories on Doreen Kong Yuk-foon. A Hong Kong solicitor and politician, she is a member of the Legislative Council. Kong’s background includes legal practice, focusing on housing. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow The government-appointed administrator of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court has sought to delay an owners’ meeting, prompting calls from residents to hold it before the end of June to address concerns ahead of a decision on whether to sell their flats. The move by Hop On Management Company came after more than 240 owners, representing over 12 per cent of households at the estate in Tai Po, petitioned the administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), warning... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353472/owners-push-back-wang-fuk-court-administrator-seeks-delay-crucial-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353472/owners-push-back-wang-fuk-court-administrator-seeks-delay-crucial-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 14:38:11 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Travelling from Hong Kong’s commercial heart to the site of the San Tin Technopole, a planned innovation hub under the Northern Metropolis megaproject, is an exercise in endurance. The roughly two-hour trek from Causeway Bay requires taking trains on two lines, navigating two transit interchanges and catching a ride on a public minibus. Upon arrival, visitors are not greeted by gleaming skyscrapers or shopping centres, but by a quiet patchwork of fish ponds, villages, scattered squatter homes... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350210/are-special-laws-quick-fix-speeding-hong-kongs-northern-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350210/are-special-laws-quick-fix-speeding-hong-kongs-northern-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:26 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities should consider the impact of technological developments when drafting policies, observers have said, noting the government’s decision to halt plans for basketball betting reflected a lack of thorough discussion. Their remarks on Tuesday followed the government announcing the suspension over concerns about new “prediction market” gambling while warning that it was illegal for Hongkongers to bet on sports events on such trading platforms. An amendment bill to the Betting... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350095/call-check-tech-trends-when-drafting-policies-after-basketball-betting-u-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350095/call-check-tech-trends-when-drafting-policies-after-basketball-betting-u-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:01:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu After the annual “two sessions” in Beijing, it’s clear that Hong Kong policymakers have their work cut out for them. It has been made abundantly clear what is expected of Hong Kong: stop messing around and get on with the national programme. Hong Kong is part of the nation’s plans to move forward. The country knows exactly where the city fits into the big picture, how it can catapult growth in key areas and play the role of superconnector between China and the rest of the world. The 15th... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346468/mainland-style-oversight-system-could-help-legco-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346468/mainland-style-oversight-system-could-help-legco-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words I refer to “Dogs to be allowed in up to 1,000 Hong Kong restaurants under new scheme” (February 3). The government’s newly announced plan to allow dogs in approved restaurants marks a meaningful shift: “pet-friendly” is going from a slogan to a workable public policy. Done well,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343475/pets-or-no-pets-may-different-lifestyles-coexist-calmly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3343475/pets-or-no-pets-may-different-lifestyles-coexist-calmly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A souvenir shop in Hong Kong has taken down lettering from its viral wall featuring designs nearly identical to MTR station signage amid concerns over possible trademark and copyright infringement. The MTR Corporation on Sunday declined to say whether the move by the Causeway Bay store was done at its request. The company “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property, which is safeguarded under the law of Hong Kong, and we shall act accordingly in the event of suspected... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343644/did-hong-kong-souvenir-shop-tread-ip-rights-viral-mtr-station-wall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3343644/did-hong-kong-souvenir-shop-tread-ip-rights-viral-mtr-station-wall?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:45:43 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle A new law requiring passengers to wear seat belts on Hong Kong buses was supposed to mark the start of a long journey ensuring greater safety. But the trip turned out to be surprisingly short. The rule only lasted 13 days. The long-anticipated legal step should not have been revolutionary. It is common knowledge – and common sense – that the wearing of a belt can save life and limb in an accident. But the practical implications were not thought through. A public backlash highlighted a catalogue... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3342782/bus-seat-belt-law-not-end-road-despite-fiasco-first-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3342782/bus-seat-belt-law-not-end-road-despite-fiasco-first-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:15:09 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The prospect of “class actions” conjures up romantic images of campaigning lawyers winning billions of dollars in court from unscrupulous corporations, benefiting thousands of aggrieved citizens. These stirring David v Goliath battles have featured in Hollywood films and TV legal dramas. They have long had a prominent place in the US legal system and been widely adopted in various forms around the world. But not in Hong Kong. Now, in the aftermath of the Wang Fuk Court fire, in which flames... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3341965/tai-po-fire-victims-are-not-being-served-well-inaction-class-actions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3341965/tai-po-fire-victims-are-not-being-served-well-inaction-class-actions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:08:21 +0000 Ng Kang-chung,Matthew Cheng Ng Kang-chung,Matthew Cheng Hong Kong authorities’ swift U-turn on a law requiring bus passengers to wear seat belts came about because of a lack of public consultation during policymaking and a less than thorough crafting process for the regulatory fine print, political observers have said. Failures on both fronts should serve as a wake-up call for officials and lawmakers to do much better and put themselves in the public’s shoes when formulating policies, they said. In an embarrassing about-face, authorities announced on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3341962/failures-2-fronts-led-hong-kongs-seat-belt-u-turn-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3341962/failures-2-fronts-led-hong-kongs-seat-belt-u-turn-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:21:40 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Matthew Cheng Jeffie Lam,Matthew Cheng Hong Kong transport authorities will repeal a law that took effect on Sunday requiring bus passengers to wear seat belts, following strong public criticism and the revelation that the rule only covered new vehicles registered from late January. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced the U-turn on Friday, conceding that the legislation had “deficiencies” as it failed to reflect the policy’s intent of requiring all passengers on public or private buses – including franchised... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3341828/hong-kong-suspend-bus-seat-belt-rules-over-law-deficiencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3341828/hong-kong-suspend-bus-seat-belt-rules-over-law-deficiencies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:39:28 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Controversy over Hong Kong’s mandatory seat belt rule has deepened after a former lawmaker said a government statement neglected to specify that the measure applied only to buses registered from January 25 this year, and urged authorities to clarify enforcement plans amid public concern about unwittingly breaking the law. Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, a member of the subcommittee that examined the proposed legislative amendment last year, told the South China Morning Post on Friday that a government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3341770/more-seat-belt-confusion-does-new-law-cover-all-public-buses-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3341770/more-seat-belt-confusion-does-new-law-cover-all-public-buses-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:08:36 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong authorities and professional bodies have stepped up investigations into the city’s deadliest fire in decades and have started taking disciplinary action against any parties found to have breached regulations, the Post has learned. The probes follow last month’s blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court housing estate, which killed at least 160 people, including a firefighter, and left nearly 5,000 homeless. Six people remain uncontactable. So far, 21 people have been arrested by police and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335823/hong-kong-steps-probes-crackdown-firms-linked-wang-fuk-court-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335823/hong-kong-steps-probes-crackdown-firms-linked-wang-fuk-court-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:34:24 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung More than 20,000 Hongkongers – mostly civil servants – signed up to cast their ballots at new designated polling stations set up to facilitate voting in the Legislative Council election, while fewer than 20 individuals from ethnic minority communities made use of the new arrangement. Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Justice David Lok Kai-hong said on Sunday that the watchdog would review the arrangement of designated polling stations after the election, stressing that no benchmarks were set... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335519/over-20000-sign-use-designated-hong-kong-legco-election-polling-stations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335519/over-20000-sign-use-designated-hong-kong-legco-election-polling-stations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:57:12 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The consultant behind the renovation of Wang Fuk Court, the housing estate reduced to ruins in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades, is to close down as experts warn the case highlights limited protection for flat owners under the city’s corporate liability laws. The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies told the Post on Wednesday that some of its members had been notified of the closure of Will Power Architects, the consultancy overseeing the HK$336 million (US$43.18... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335237/flat-owners-warned-consultant-fire-hit-hong-kong-estate-signals-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335237/flat-owners-warned-consultant-fire-hit-hong-kong-estate-signals-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:20:36 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen has the patience of a Buddha, a temperament which may explain why he managed to chair the Legislative Council for nine long years. Those tumultuous years included the unprecedented anti-government riots in 2019, followed by the economically damaging Covid-19 pandemic, and yet he almost never lost his temper in public. But even Leung got a little testy at a news conference last month before the end of the seventh Legco. “If there were 90 legislators and more than 80 were... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331412/turnover-among-hong-kong-legislators-should-not-be-surprising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331412/turnover-among-hong-kong-legislators-should-not-be-surprising?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu In a new occasional series, outgoing lawmakers reflect on their time in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, which wrapped up its four-year term on October 24, ahead of the next general election on December 7. Hong Kong’s first “patriots-only” legislature has established a good model of executive-legislative relations where key policies are first discussed with officials in closed-door meetings, retiring legislator Doreen Kong Yuk-foon has said. Kong, 55, a solicitor by training, made her debut as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331235/patriots-only-good-model-executive-legislative-ties-lawmaker-doreen-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331235/patriots-only-good-model-executive-legislative-ties-lawmaker-doreen-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng In a new series, outgoing lawmakers reflect on their time in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, which wrapped up its four-year term on October 24, ahead of the next general election on December 7. General voters’ inability to directly nominate candidates under Hong Kong’s revamped “patriots-only” electoral system has fuelled public apathy towards the legislative process, according to outgoing lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun, who urged new members to step up their efforts to gain public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330385/nomination-rules-play-part-public-apathy-says-hong-kong-lawmaker-michael-tien?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330385/nomination-rules-play-part-public-apathy-says-hong-kong-lawmaker-michael-tien?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:36:37 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The seventh-term Legislative Council has officially ended. I am sure few people had expected the attention Legco received over the past month, beginning with the news of Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen’s retirement. Amid a wave of retirements, legislators over 70 years old – including stalwarts – might be forgiven for feeling the pressure to step aside to make room for new blood. The announcement over the weekend by the New People’s Party’s Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Lai Tung-kwok that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330343/can-legco-veterans-exit-really-invigorate-hong-kong-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330343/can-legco-veterans-exit-really-invigorate-hong-kong-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu,Matthew Cheng Willa Wu,Matthew Cheng Hong Kong lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, known for her outspoken views, has announced that she will not seek a second term in the coming Legislative Council election, saying she wants to shift her focus back to her legal practice. Her decision, revealed on Wednesday, brings the number of incumbent legislators who are opting not to run to 22 – nearly a quarter of the current 89 members. Kong, 55, also said she was preparing an online platform which would allow her to analyse public affairs and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329892/outspoken-hong-kong-lawmaker-doreen-kong-55-will-not-seek-second-term-legco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329892/outspoken-hong-kong-lawmaker-doreen-kong-55-will-not-seek-second-term-legco?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:19:16 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Last week, Hong Kong braved the strongest storm of the year in the world as Super Typhoon Ragasa ripped through the city as well as the Philippines, Taiwan, Macau and coastal mainland China, causing havoc. Compared with the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, Hong Kong did well this time. Mangkhut sank boats, damaged infrastructure, left roads strewn with debris, injured hundreds of people and caused economic losses estimated at HK$4.6 billion (US$591.3 million). Economist... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326994/ragasas-wake-brings-pride-and-important-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326994/ragasas-wake-brings-pride-and-important-lessons-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Lawmakers have passed legislation regulating Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided flats, with enforcement efforts set to begin in 2027 and landlords able to register their properties from as early as next March. The Legislative Council on Friday morning approved the Basic Housing Units Bill, which requires all subdivided flats to meet new standards for “basic housing units”. These include a minimum size of 86 sq ft, a ceiling height of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), proper windows and at least one toilet... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3326914/hong-kong-passes-new-legislation-regulate-notorious-subdivided-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3326914/hong-kong-passes-new-legislation-regulate-notorious-subdivided-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:33:40 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung The curtain has dropped on Hong Kong’s first hot-air balloon festival, which has made the headlines over the past few days after licensing issues led to the cancellation of much-awaited tethered rides. The event was also forced to close early due to a storm and left hundreds of ticket holders outraged. The Post unpacks the emotional fiasco of the mega-event. 1. What was the fiasco all about? The AIA International Hot Air Balloon Festival was scheduled to take place at the Central Harbourfront... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3324889/what-went-wrong-post-unpacks-hong-kong-hot-air-balloon-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3324889/what-went-wrong-post-unpacks-hong-kong-hot-air-balloon-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:01:48 +0000 Wynna Wong,Lo Hoi-ying Wynna Wong,Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong authorities could have provided better guidance to the organiser of a HK$30 million (US$3.85 million) botched hot-air balloon festival, lawmakers have said, even as the government stressed it had already offered professional advice. Lawmakers Doreen Kong Yuk-foon and Michael Tien Puk-sun said on Monday that the government should be more proactive when dealing with high-risk or special events and could conduct reviews for activities held in public venues. “I hope the government can... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324796/hong-kong-officials-could-have-provided-better-guidance-failed-balloon-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324796/hong-kong-officials-could-have-provided-better-guidance-failed-balloon-event?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:28:54 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Pricey dental care and a lack of services on Sundays have left Hong Kong’s foreign domestic helpers desperate for affordable options, NGOs and unions have said, following the arrest of six women earlier this week for allegedly operating an illegal clinic. A lawmaker also said on Wednesday that one solution was for the city to adopt a similar policy to Singapore, where employers are required to buy comprehensive medical insurance, including dental care, for their helpers. Earlier this week, Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322556/pricey-dental-care-lack-options-sundays-leave-hong-kong-helpers-desperate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322556/pricey-dental-care-lack-options-sundays-leave-hong-kong-helpers-desperate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:11:02 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong police have arrested a married couple suspected of being at the centre of a rapidly unfolding controversy surrounding a HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) contract to supply drinking water to some government offices. The pair allegedly defrauded the government and are suspected of breaching the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by providing false information about the product manufacturer. The unprecedented fiasco over the contract, which was among the first of its kind awarded to a mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322266/pouring-over-facts-what-behind-hong-kongs-water-procurement-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322266/pouring-over-facts-what-behind-hong-kongs-water-procurement-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:42:32 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of potentially extending a baby bonus scheme to talent admitted to Hong Kong to boost the birth rate, despite some professionals complaining about being left out. Experts and lawmakers said that other incentives and measures were needed to encourage childbearing and boost the birth rate. Last month, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme was under review, with authorities to consider suggestions,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320558/should-hong-kongs-baby-bonus-scheme-include-talent-boost-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320558/should-hong-kongs-baby-bonus-scheme-include-talent-boost-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A law amendment proposal to reduce the number of prepaid SIM cards per user from 10 to three does not go far enough to deter rampant phone scams, according to Hong Kong lawmakers, who called for a tougher approach to handling the issue. Hong Kong authorities have proposed reducing the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards a user can register with one of the 29 telecommunications service providers in the city from 10 to just three, according to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council. Based on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318189/lawmakers-warn-sim-card-limits-wont-stem-tide-phone-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318189/lawmakers-warn-sim-card-limits-wont-stem-tide-phone-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:24:49 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying,Emily Hung Lo Hoi-ying,Emily Hung Hong Kong should step up victim protection by outlawing deepfake pornographic content, advocates and lawmakers have said, after a university student was accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate explicit images of his classmates. The Education Bureau weighed in on the case on Sunday, saying publicly funded universities had autonomy in how they managed students, while one lawmaker called on authorities to follow South Korea’s example by banning the AI-generated pornographic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318047/hong-kong-should-ban-ai-generated-porn-protect-victims-ngo-and-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318047/hong-kong-should-ban-ai-generated-porn-protect-victims-ngo-and-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:32:01 +0000 Joshua Kwok Joshua Kwok Chan Tak-ching, 92, spends her day at a stall set up next to a Hong Kong railway station, as her colleagues manage operations under a sweltering 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) heat. She is not concerned about the earnings of about HK$500 (US$63.70) to HK$600 a day. Chan’s main concern is being present at the stall to comply with what some have called an “outdated” hawking policy while providing her colleagues with the opportunity to earn a living amid the sluggish economy. “I am over 90... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317974/how-hong-kongs-hawker-rules-are-pressuring-92-year-old-maintain-her-stall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317974/how-hong-kongs-hawker-rules-are-pressuring-92-year-old-maintain-her-stall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:03:21 +0000