Peggy Wong resigns as Tai Po District Councillor

Peggy Wong Pik-kiu, a district councillor in Hong Kong's Tai Po South constituency, has resigned from her position and several related roles amid claims of proxy-vote collection. The decision to step down was made following mounting controversy over her team's alleged practices before the fatal Wang Fuk Court inferno last year. Wong, who served on the Tai Po District Council for over 20 years, cited health reasons for her resignation, which came after she missed nine consecutive district council meetings.

The Home Affairs Department announced the resignations, with Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen expressing respect for Wong's decision. The department had referred the proxy-vote matter to law enforcement agencies for investigation. Critics have accused Wong's team of collecting proxy votes from residents at the Wang Fuk Court estate and attempting to influence decisions on renovation works prior to the fire.

Wong admitted to collecting votes in two meetings in 2021 and 2024 but denied offering any benefits in exchange. She also pledged to file reports to the police and ICAC regarding the disaster.

The Wang Fuk Court inferno in November 2022 claimed 168 lives, including a firefighter, and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. During investigations, residents alleged that Wong, along with those associated with her, had collected proxy votes from estate owners' assemblies or intimidated those with opposing views. Wong submitted a written statement to the independent committee probing the fire, claiming she had collected proxy votes ahead of two meetings in 2021 and 2024 but had not offered benefits for those votes.

She clarified that she had not collected votes for the general meeting in 2024, during which Prestige Construction and Engineering was selected as the main renovation contractor. Several individuals and firms, including Prestige and Will Power Architects, have since been charged with various offenses related to the fire. Wong also resigned from her role as an adviser to the owners' committee of Plover Cove Garden, another housing estate in Tai Po, in June.