Key facts
- Alice Mak Mei-kuen said the government decided against an immediate limit on proxy votes under the proposed amendments.
- Mak said the government is drafting the legislation with the Department of Justice and hopes to submit it to the Legislative Council soon.
- Mak said consultation objections concerned management offices' difficulty determining the order of submitted proxies, not a cap itself.
- The pilot would let owners of large estates, single-block buildings and older properties take part, Mak said.
- Mak said the priority is effective verification and criminal liability for those involved in illegal activities.
Hong Kong will run a trial scheme to handle proxy voting at owners' meetings through an electronic platform, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on November 14. The government aims to launch the pilot before the end of 2027, she said.
Mak said the government had decided against an immediate limit on proxy votes under proposed amendments to the Building Management Ordinance. She said objections raised during public consultation were not to a cap itself but to the difficulty management offices face in determining the order in which proxy votes are submitted, which often leads to disputes.
Mak said she hopes a technology platform can overcome those technical difficulties. The pilot would be open to owners of different types of buildings, including large estates, single-block buildings and older properties, she said. She said the most important thing is that verification work is effective and that those involved in illegal activities face criminal liability.
The amendment work is not easy because it covers many proposals beyond proxy voting, including meeting procedures and the powers of the relevant authority, Mak said. She said the government is working with the Department of Justice to draft the legislation as quickly as possible and hopes to submit it to the Legislative Council soon.
Mak said that if the authorities find a solution to the practical difficulties, they will continue to review the ordinance and propose further amendments at an appropriate time.