MIDDLEBURGH

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Middleburgh Votes

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This has nothing to do with Super Tuesday or the upcoming 2008 US Presidential elections…Just a few words about me exercising my rights (and obligations)as a Hong Kong Permie.

I was impressed by the Australian compulsory voting system when I lived in Melbourne and it was inevitable that I would choose as a matter of principle to vote in every election in Hong Kong that I could, starting with the 2007 District council elections. At the time I meant to write a witty and insightful post about the experience… but in reality it was no different to voting in a UK local election with the exception that non elected government appointees to the council somewhat devalue the process.

Casting your vote is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, "... not the end. It is not even the beginning to the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.". So on this week of Super Tuesday, it perhaps fitting to review the progress and achievements, to date, of our duly elected representatives.

Hong Kong is divided into 405 District Council constituencies under 18 Districts. Each constituency will return one District Council member based on a 1 man 1 votes first past the post system . In addition there are non elected councillors appointed in each district by the SAR Government. This is the most odius aspect of local elections in HK. The remit of District Councils is outlined on the HK Government's excellentDC Elections site

South Horizons,where I live, returned 2 out of 22 councillors to the Southern DC.Apart from 4 appointed councilors 2 wards in the district were uncontested.

Local campaigning consisted of an official mailshot from each candidate, handouts at bus stops and shopping mall, limited pressing of the flesh (I saw no babies kissed), use of Public Address systems to harangue weary commuters coming home from work and lots of posters hung on roadside railings. It appeared that all candidate,had or was going to, work hard to improve local public transport – No other issue seemed to demand such attention. The incumbent in our ward was returned with a majority of 386, due no doubt to his modest investment in a PA system and his polished harganguing skills. The table below lists all the districts councilors (just in case anyone wants to follow up on a pressing transport concern!!).

The councillors formally took office on January 3 when the chairman (Ms MAR Yuet-har) and vice chairman (Mr CHU Ching-hong) were elected. There are 4 subcommitees which met on January 28

The first full council working meeting was held on January 17 and agendas for this and the initial meeting are listed below.

Unfortunately minutes of any of these meetings with/without details of which councillor participated or indeed copies of the papers voted on/discussed with voting summaries have yet to be posted on the council website. Although early days, I hope that there will be more transparency going forward so that we the voters can have visibilty of how effective our councillors are (or not). Perhaps I should ask my councilor to raise it at the next meeting which has yet to be scheduled. I may even attend, public transport permitting.

South District Council Agenda 3 January 2008

  1. Election of the Chairman of the Southern District Council
  2. Election of the Vice-Chairman of the Southern District Council
  3. Appointment of the Secretary of the Southern District Council under Section 69 of the District Council Ordinance
  4. Standing Orders of the Southern District Council（ 2008–2011） (SDC Paper No. 1/2008)
  5. Financial Statement in respect of SDC Funds for Minor Environmental Improvement and Community Involvement Projects 2007-08 (Position as at 23.12.2007) (SDC Paper No. 2/2008)
  6. Application for DC Funds: Minor Environmental Improvement Projects (Budget Revision) (SDC Paper No. 3/2008)
  7. Application for DC Funds: Spring Reception co-organized by the Southern District Council and Southern District Office (SDC Paper No. 4/2008)
  8. Any Other Business
    (a) SDC Members’ Meeting-cum-luncheon with Legislative Council Members
South District Council Agenda 17 January 2008
  1. Confirmation of the draft minutes of the first SDC meeting held on 3 January 2008
  2. Standing Orders of the Southern District Council（ 2008–2011）(SDC Paper No. 8/2008)
  3. Formation of Committees under the Southern District Council (SDC) and the arrangement for the election of Committee Chairperson (SDC Paper No. 9/2008)
  4. Proposed Meeting Timetable of the SDC and its Committees in 2008 (SDC Paper No. 10/2008)
  5. Appointment Arrangements for the Ap Lei Chau Community Halls／ Community Centre Management Committee, the Southern District Summer Youth Programme Coordinating Committee and the Southern District Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (SDC Paper No. 11/2008)
  6. SDC ‘Meet-the-Public Scheme’ (SDC Paper No. 12/2008)
  7. Proposed Re-allocation of SDC Funds for the 2007-08 Financial Year (SDC Paper No. 13/2008)
  8. Application for DC Funds: Activities organized by Southern District Recreation and Sports Association (SDC Paper No. 14/2008)
  9. 2008/09 Leisure and Cultural Services Department's (LCSD) Recreation and Sports Programme Plan in Southern District (1st Quarter - April to June) (SDC Paper No. 15/2008)
  10. Annual Plan on LCSD's Regular Free Entertainment Activities in the Southern District in 2008/09 (SDC Paper No. 16/2008)
  11. Programme Plan of Extension Activities for Public Libraries in Southern District for April 2008 - March 2009 (SDC Paper No. 17/2008)
  12. Rezoning Application No. Y/H15/4 (No. 41 Heung Yip Road) – Proposed Rezoning from “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Business (1)” to “Residential (Group E)2” (Item raised by Mr. TSUI Yuen-wa) (SDC Paper No. 18/2008)
  13. South Island Line Progress Update (Item raised by Mr. FUNG Wai-kwong) (SDC Paper No. 19/2008)
  14. Greening Master Plan for Southern District (SDC Paper No. 20/2008)
  15. Proposed reclamation for boat storage hardstanding and submarine sewage pipelines in Deep Water Bay – Gazetting under the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance, Cap. 127 (SDC Paper No. 21/2008)
  16. Anti-rodent Campaign (Promotion Phase) 2008, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) (SDC Paper No. 22/2008)
  17. Year-end Clean-up 2008, FEHD (SDC Paper No. 23/2008)
  18. Any Other Business
    (a) nomination of District Council representatives to the Regional Advisory Committees of the Hospital Authority
    (b) nomination of District Council representatives to the Panel of Advisers to Community Involvement Committee on Greening
  19. Items for Information
    (a) Report from Area Committees (SDC Paper No. 6/2008)
    (b) Financial Statement in respect of SDC Funds for Minor Environmental Improvement and Community Involvement Projects 2003/04 (Position as at 7.1.2008) (SDC Paper No. 7/2008)
WardCouncillorOccupationPolitical
Affiliation		 TelNoFaxNoEmailAddress
AberdeenMr WONG Ling-sun, VincentCompany Director- 2553 79362554 0708vincentlswong
@yahoo.com.hk
Ap Lei Chau EstateMs LAM Yuk-chunFull-time District Council MemberIndependent 2553 28082553 6609adalamyc
@biznetvigator.com
Ap Lei Chau NorthMs CHEUNG Sik-yungSecretary- 2814 16222814 1226sandy_sycheung
@yahoo.com.hk
Bays AreaMr FUNG Se-goun, FergusPublisherLiberal Party 8201 90098343 0063bays.area
@gmail.com
Chi FuMr CHU Ching-hongFull-time District Council MemberIndependent 2875 55232875 2530chchu1
@netvigator.com
sdcvic
h@sdc.had.gov.hk
Lei Tung I Mr CHEUNG Siu-keungOcean Develop Ltd Director- 2870 20152870 2016keung_siu8269
@yahoo.com.hk
Lei Tung IIMr WONG Che-ngaiFull-time District Council Member- 2874 9911 / 9260 35022874 9951wcn113
@wongchengai.biz.com.hk
Pok Fu LamMr CHAN Ngok-pang, RonaldPublic Policy Analyst- 2551 28912551 2871ronaldchan2007
@gmail.com
Shek YueMs MAR Yuet-har, BBS, MHSupervisor of Kindergarten- 2555 69022555 6802yhmar2000
@yahoo.com.hk sdcch
@sdc.had.gov.hk
South Horizon EastMr LAM Kai-fai, MHPlanning & coordination Consultant- 2871 0331 / 2366 9991 / 9138 78892552 5293councilor_kflam
@yahoo.com.hk
South Horizon WestMr FUNG Wai-kwongPR ConsultantDemocratic Party 2555 64382555 6436enquiry
@andrewfung.net
Stanley & Shek OMrs CHAN LEE Pui-yingFull-time District Council MemberIndependent 2522 7233 / 2813 6693 / 2809 22182523 0258leepuiying2003
@yahoo.com.hk
Tin WanMr CHAN Fu-mingExecutive- 2538 7738/ 2538 77882538 7789chanfuming
@yahoo.com.hk
Wah Fu IMr AU Lap-singFull-time District Council Member- 2550 5800 / 9787 82542550 7400aulapsing
@sinaman.com
Wah Fu IIMr CHAI Man-honFull-time District Council MemberDemocratic Party 2555 8555 / 2875 1166 / 3188 24222551 3000hmch
@yeungsum.org.hk
Wah KwaiMrs MAK TSE How-ling, AdaPrincipalDemocratic Alliance for the Betterment of HK 2552 62452518 4805 
Wong ChukHang Mr TSUI Yuen-waFull-time District Council MemberDemocratic Party 2552 24432553 5595wongchukhang
@gmail.com
AppointedMr LEUNG Ho-kwanMedical Laboratory Technologist- 2855 32112554 3291sdc_leunghk
@yahoo.com
AppointedMr MAK Chi-yanExecutive Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of HK 2554 45332554 4492 
AppointedMr CHAN, Lee-shing WilliamEngineer- 7220 06442875 7992sdcwlschan
@netvigator.com
AppointedMr FONG Chun-chunChinese Medicine ConsulantLiberal Party 2551 3756 / 2551 25733753 4075 / 2551 2573 cmpccfong
@yahoo.com.hk

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Posted at 2/05/2008 10:11:00 pm by David Middleburgh   Permalink

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