Gov't Reviews Stricter Proxy Voting Rules for Owners' Meetings
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The government is amending the Building Management Ordinance to enhance the legitimacy of proxy votes at owners' meetings. The Home Affairs Department is weighing whether to restrict authorized representatives to relatives or other owners within the same housing estate, though officials say they remain open to concerns about overly stringent requirements. A tiered voting threshold system for major renovation projects is also being introduced.
Key Points
- Home Affairs Department Director Du Jieli stated on Tuesday that the amendment aims to improve proxy vote legitimacy and is open to feedback
- The proposal would limit authorized representatives to owners' relatives or other owners in the same estate, potentially affecting elderly residents who rely on friends from other estates
- A tiered system will raise attendance and voting thresholds for large renovation projects and significant procurement decisions, with higher amounts requiring more owners to vote in person
- Electronic voting will not be included due to identity verification challenges with the iAMSmart app, which requires a Hong Kong ID card and cannot be used by overseas property owners
- The amendment would grant authorities greater power to intervene when management committee chairpersons unreasonably refuse or cancel meetings, though officials prefer to assist rather than directly intervene
Why It Matters
The proposed changes address long-standing concerns about proxy vote manipulation in Hong Kong's building management, affecting thousands of residential developments across the city. The balance between preventing abuse and maintaining accessibility for vulnerable residents like elderly singletons will determine whether the amendment achieves its intended goals.
The proposed changes address long-standing concerns about proxy vote manipulation in Hong Kong's building management, affecting thousands of residential developments across the city. The balance between preventing abuse and maintaining accessibility for vulnerable residents like elderly singletons will determine whether the amendment achieves its intended goals.