Hong Kong politicians silent before Wang Fuk Court report as calls mount for a secretary to quit

28th October 2026 – (Hong Kong) The Independent Committee report on the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court No 5 alarm fire that killed 168 people is expected to be published as early as tomorrow, with a package of reforms and accountability moves — while political circles stay outwardly calm yet privately debate who will “take the pot”.

After the blaze, an idependent committee dug into the case and, over about nine months and 30 hearings, exposed serious problems of slack oversight, buck-passing and maladministration across several departments. The panel submitted its report to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu last week. Lee has repeatedly said accountability will follow, but the rank at which heads will roll remains a mystery.

Rumour mills have already spun several versions: first that at least one bureau secretary must go; then that two secretaries plus a deputy secretary of department might fall; later whispers of “no punishment above secretary level” or even that secretaries were blameless. The latest phrase in circulation is “precise accountability” — if any official pays a political price, the scope should match the failings found in the report — which only deepens suspense over who ends up in the pot.

Government sources say the report will be released tomorrow alongside wide reforms. Policy bureaux are due to hold a press conference the day after to spell out how they will close gaps in building maintenance and fire-safety regulation. Lee will lead the three secretaries of department and key bureau chiefs linked to the inquiry at tomorrow’s briefing, expected to dwell on accountability — though whether names will be named on the spot is still unknown. Beyond personnel moves, the fire has bruised governing credibility; some political figures expect the administration to seize the chance to bow and apologise.

On the accountability question itself, party voices today kept a common public line: wait for the report before judging. Privately, many insist at least one bureau secretary must resign before the public will “accept” the outcome; if nobody is held to account, they say, society will not settle and anger will not cool. No formal “warm reminder” is said to have gone out to mute comment, yet there is a shared instinct not to hug the train too closely before details land.

Against the four departments whose regulatory holes hearings laid bare, Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin is widely cast as taking the heaviest fire — the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit is seen as bearing the greatest responsibility. Security Secretary Chris Tang Ping-keung is also said to have been “hit by arrows” over the Fire Services Department’s performance. Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, whose bureau oversees the wider maintenance regime, building safety and registration of contractors and professionals, draws less blame because the Wang Fuk works were not under her direct control, and has even won some support. Tang has lately turned low-key and declined invitations; Ho, though at the eye of the storm, is still accepting engagements as usual. Linn and Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun Yuk-han left the Legislative Council today without answering whether the Buildings Department or Labour Department, or anyone politically, should be held accountable.