Oath-taking by District Council members (2) (with photos/video)
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The Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted and came into effect on May 21, 2021. The Ordinance amends certain legislation, including requiring District Council (DC) members to take an oath to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and bear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC (uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR).
The Government today (October 8) held the oath-taking ceremony for DC members from the Tsuen Wan District Council, the Tuen Mun District Council, the Yuen Long District Council, the Kwai Tsing District Council and the Islands District Council at North Point Community Hall. During the oath-taking ceremony, the DC members present took oaths individually that they would uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. The oath-taking was administered by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, who was authorised by the Chief Executive as the oath administrator.
According to the Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the person administering the oath has the duty to ensure that the oath is taken in a lawful manner. He or she shall determine that an oath taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is valid, and that an oath which is not taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is invalid. If the oath taken is determined as invalid, no arrangement shall be made for retaking the oath.
Based on the principles laid down by the Interpretation and the relevant legal provisions, the oath administrator determined that the oaths taken by the following DC members were valid:
Tsuen Wan District Council
1. Mr Yau Kam-ping
2. Mr Chan Sung-ip
3. Mr Luk Ling-chung, Antonio
4. Mr Lau Cheuk-yu
5. Mr Kot Siu-yuen
6. Mr Man Yu-ming
7. Mr Wong Ka-wa
8. Mr Chan Yuen-sum, Sumly
Tuen Mun District Council
1. Mr Lau Ip-keung, Kenneth
2. Mr Lam Chung-hoi
3. Ms Kong Fung-yi
4. Mr Wong Tan-ching
5. Mr Chan Yau-hoi
6. Mr Wong Hung-ming
7. Mr Yan Siu-nam
8. Mr Chow Kai-lim
9. Mr Leung Ho-man
10. Ms So Ka-man
11. Ms Lai Ka-man
Yuen Long District Council
1. Mr Man Mei-kwai, Jimmy
2. Mr Ching Chan-ming
3. Mr Tang Che-keung
4. Mr Tang Ho-nin
5. Mr Tang Sui-man
6. Mr Tang Lai-tung
7. Mr Shum Ho-kit
8. Mr Tang Ka-leung
9. Mr Man Fu-wan
10. Mr Tang Yung-yiu, Ronnie
11. Mr Lai Wing-tim
Kwai Tsing District Council
1. Mr Chan Chi-wing
2. Mr Leung Chi-shing
3. Miss Kwok Fu-yung
4. Ms Lau Kwai-mui
5. Mr Lam Siu-fai
6. Mr Tsui Hiu-kit
7. Ms Leung Kar-ming
8. Miss Lo Yuen-ting
Islands District Council
1. Mr Ho Siu-kei
2. Mr Ho Chun-fai
3. Mr Chow Yuk-tong
4. Mr Yung Chi-ming
5. Mr Chan Lin-wai
6. Mr Wong Man-hon
7. Ms Wong Chau-ping
8. Mr Wong Hon-kuen
9. Mr Yu Hon-kwan
10. Mr Kwok Ping
11. Mr Fong Lung-fei
12. Ms Tsang Sau-ho, Josephine
13. Ms Lau Shun-ting
As Mr Leung Kam-wai of the Kwai Tsing District Council is currently on remand, the oath administrator considers that it is not reasonably practicable to arrange oath-taking for him currently. If his situation changes and he is still serving as a DC member by then, the Government will make separate arrangements. As for Mr Cheung Sau-yin and Mr Young Ka-on of the Yuen Long District Council, they provided the oath administrator with the reasons for not attending today’s oath-taking ceremony respectively. The oath administrator is now handling their cases.
Mr Poon Chi-kin and Mr Wong Tak-yuen of the Tuen Mun District Council, Mr Li Chung-chi of the Yuen Long District Council and Mr Kwok Tsz-kin of the Kwai Tsing District Council were absent and regarded as declining or neglecting to take the oath under section 20A of the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance. Accordingly, they shall vacate their offices immediately pursuant to section 21 of that Ordinance. Moreover, as the oath administrator had doubts on the validity of the oaths taken by the following DC members today, letters were issued to the DC members concerned to require them to provide additional information for the oath administrator to decide the validity of their oaths.
Tsuen Wan District Council
1. Mr Lam Sek-tim
2. Mr Li Hung-por
Tuen Mun District Council
1. Mr Tsang Kam-wing
2. Mr Cheung Kam-hung, Kenneth
Yuen Long District Council
1. Mr Lai Kwok-wing
2. Mr Wong Wai-yin, Zachary
3. Mr Kwong Chun-yu
4. Mr Cheung Chi-yeung, Felix
5. Mr Ng Hin-wang
6. Ms Chan Mei-lin
7. Ms Lai Po-wa
8. Ms Chan Sze-nga
9. Mr Lee Wai-fung
Kwai Tsing District Council
1. Mr Tong Ho-man
2. Miss Leung Ching-shan
Islands District Council
1. Mr Wong Chun-yeung
2. Mr Tsui Sang-hung, Sammy