HONG KONG — A highly anticipated community press conference organized to scrutinize high-rise building repair regulations following the deadly No. 5-alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was abruptly canceled Tuesday morning, according to organizers. The session, intended to address victim support, rehousing efforts, and calls for an independent investigation into the recent tragedy, was scrapped after the organizers reportedly received an unexplained notification from a government department.
The cancellation introduces further complexity to the public safety debate raging in Hong Kong, which has intensified since the fatal blaze. The canceled briefing was set to tackle critical municipal issues, including regulatory oversight of large-scale building renovations, allegations concerning substandard construction materials, and persistent concerns over malpractice in tendering and bid-rigging for maintenance projects.
Focus Shifts Amid National Security Developments
The immediate cancellation coincided with separate, concurrent developments involving the city’s National Security Department. Bruce Liu Sing-lee, chairman of the Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People’s Livelihood (ADPL) and a former district councilor, confirmed he was invited to a meeting at a police station concerning the National Security Law. He was accompanied by political commentator Wong On-yin.
Wong later indicated on his social media account that he had been involved in organizing the now-scrapped press event and had met with national security officers before being permitted to leave. The connection, if any, between the government notification that led to the briefing’s cancellation and the National Security Department’s actions remains unconfirmed.
The scheduled agenda was broad, aiming to examine urban planning, tall-building maintenance safety, and the involvement of regulatory bodies like the Competition Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Expected attendees included multiple ADPL and Democratic Party figures, civic representatives, and an urban planner, according to a media notice issued Monday.
Calls for Accountability Intensify
On Tuesday morning, organizers issued a brief statement to media outlets confirming the cancellation due to a “departmental notification.” They declined to identify the governmental authority involved or disclose the content of the instruction.
The move comes amid intense public and political scrutiny of the city’s building renovation and regulatory framework. The Wang Fuk Court fatality has brought to light allegations that potentially non-compliant, fire-resistant netting may have been utilized during exterior repair works. Public demands for a formal inquiry to identify systemic regulatory failures across the construction and maintenance sectors have grown substantially.
Adding to the tense atmosphere, national security officers have already arrested three individuals on suspicion of incitement related to the fire’s aftermath, reflecting a period of heightened enforcement activity in response to the disaster. As calls for transparency and accountability mount, the sudden silencing of a key community dialogue underscores the complex pressures facing public discourse on safety and governance in Hong Kong. Without a formal community forum, future efforts to review and reform critical building safety regulations may be channeled exclusively through government-led processes.