2018.1.7 To express our concern for families from the grassroots, the DAB Family Affairs Committee and the ShineTak Foundation held the “Fun for Thousand Families 2018”. Over 3,000 family members from grassroots backgrounds attended the Great European Carnival for free. This is the fourth year that we have held this event which has always been welcomed by these families as an opportunity to have some fun together during the holidays. The opening ceremony officiated by Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Political Assistant Bernard Chan Pak-Li, ShineTak Foundation chairperson Christy Tung Ng, DAB Chairperson Starry Lee, DAB Party Affairs Advisor Tam Yiu-Chung, DAB Vice Chairperson Brave Chan, Gary Chan, Holden Chow, DAB Vice Secretary Chan Hok-Fung, DAB Vice Secretary Hung Kam-In, DAB Family Affairs Committee Chairperson Jacqueline Chung and YoungDAB Chairperson Ngan Man-Yu. In her speech Starry Lee thanked the ShineTak Foundation for their many years of sponsoring this event to allow grassroots families to enjoy the Great European Carnival. She pointed out that the DAB Family Affairs Committee has always promoted family-friendly policies and last year proposed to set up the Children’s Affairs Committee alongside other organizations. Recently while discussing homework policy on the Education Panel within Legco, we requested the government to squarely face the issue of too much homework, to research how different countries deal with this issue and provide the little ones with a happy childhood. At the same time, we will continue working hard to promote family-friendly policies and take care of the pressures and needs of children. Bernard Chan said that he hoped the various sectors of society can hold similar meaningful events and bring a vision of love and mutual help to every corner of society. Everyone just needs to walk the extra mile and Hong Kong society can enjoy more positive energy and hope. Christy Tung Ng said that this event was full of vitality and fun and that she hoped families from grassroots backgrounds can enjoy some fun during the holidays and build up family relationships. Through their enthusiastic response to this event, grassroots families were able to enjoy some fun at the carnival through the assistance of the DAB district branch offices.

February 1st, 2020 The supply of masks and protective items is very stringent at the moment. Unscrupulous merchants hike the prices and gouge customers in need. The DAB accepted the generous donation of 50,000 masks from the Hong Kong Volunteers Federation and distributed them at five major districts, reaching around 10,000 local residents. The DAB is making an effort to procure the masks globally, and give them away to the needy at a suitable time and place. We strongly urge the government: To update the progress of worldwide sourcing of masks and other protective products, the number of such supplies reaching Hong Kong and their distribution in the market. To hand out masks which are not urgently needed to the general public for free. To give full support to suppliers to find new sources of masks and protective items and expedite the procurement process. To include masks and other protective products into the “Reserved Commodities Ordinance. To stop unscrupulous merchants from speculating, stockpiling and selling the substandard masks and other protective products. To ensure adequate supply of masks for the needy, hospitals, schools and frontline personnel. Media Inquiries: Starry LEE, DAB Chairperson 7770 0820

2020.02.26 The DAB feels that this Budget is able to help the public affected by the epidemic tide over this difficult period. We would agree that the Budget appropriately responded to the expectations of the general public through a series of relief measures totaling $120 billion during this difficult period.  LegCo should approve the $10,000 handouts as soon as possible and the government should distribute them in a fast and simple way.  We also suggest the government to cover the payout for non-permanent residents through the Love Fund. The Budget has adopted many proposals of the DAB which include the $10,000 payout, reducing salaries tax and profits tax, waiving rates of domestic properties, providing an extra month’s allowance of the CSSA payment as well as the OAA, OALA, the Disability allowance and Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme, paying one month’s rent for lower income tenants living in public rental units and paying DSE examination fees.  In terms of supporting enterprises, the Budget set up a 100% Financing Guarantee Scheme for SMEs, waives business registration fees, subsidizes electricity, water and sewage charges for four extra months and reduces rents for tenants on government land for six months. Nevertheless, the Budget is still inadequate in many aspects, especially in regards to taking the lead to reduce rents.  In terms of safeguarding jobs, we ask the government to proactively open up temporary jobs and establish an unemployment fund to provide support to the unemployed.  In terms of medical care, the government has to improve the efficiency of the Hospital Authority (HA) and demand the HA to set benchmarks and performance pledges to ensure quality service.  In terms of stimulating the economy, we hope the government planning to promote various economic initiatives to do so by planning ahead of time to implement these initiatives after the crisis has passed.  Some of the government proposals on technology and innovation put forward last year have still not been approved for funding due to filibusters within LegCo.  The opposition camp should not play politics this time or else none of these proposals will be passed and economic growth will remain sluggish. Media Inquiries: Starry LEE, DAB Chairperson 7770 0820

2020.02.28 In the government document submitted to LegCo today, the latest cost of the Shatin Central Link (SCL) has been revised to HK$82.99 billion, which is an increase of HK$12.17 billion from the original estimation of HK$70.82 billion.  The government has to apply for an additional funding of HK$10.06 billion in cost overruns. DAB Legislative Councillor Ben Chan responded: “the DAB and the general public do not wish to see the SCL lay unfinished due to lack of funds, especially after the commission of the phase 1 of the Tuan Ma Line this month which provides greater convenience for commuters.” Ben Chan mentioned that even though the cost is HK$5.7 billion less than the estimated HK$16.5 billion in 2017, the government still needs to pay an additional cost of HK$10.06 billion which is a huge amount.  The LegCo should hold a careful examination and discussion on this funding.  Meanwhile, the insufficient oversight of the MTRC has resulted in the problems in construction quality and thus the delay of the opening of the SCL and the public has to suffer the consequences.  The government should reexamine, cut down on and explain the details of this additional funding. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Ben Chan 9274 7035

2020.02.28 Regarding the 100% Financing Guarantee Scheme for SMEs in the Budget, DAB Legislative Councillor Holden Chow learnt from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau that the scheme will come into effect approximately one month after the Budget is passed. The government is still holding discussions with banks participating in the scheme regarding the exact arrangements.  He urged the government to speed up the process and announce the list of banks participating in the scheme as soon as possible to allow SMEs in need to make preparations. A total of 31 banks are participating in the scheme but the list of banks willing to participate in the 100% Financing Guarantee Scheme has yet to be announced. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Holden Chow 3703 9870

2020.03.03 On March 3rd the MTRC officially publicized its investigative report into the derailment incident on the East Rail Line last September. The investigation discovered that the derailment was mainly due to the widening of the track gauge. Legislative Councillor Ben CHAN believes that this incident was clearly caused by human error.  The report showed that there were three major mistakes committed by the MTRC management and East Rail repair team.  First, maintenance staff made careless mistakes.  They fixed the widened gap according to their personal experience rather than measurement data while they had an insufficient understanding of the track widening problem.  Second, maintenance staff purposely concealed the fact that they did not strictly follow the necessary procedures while performing follow up inspection, repairing the gap and reporting to their superiors.  Third, monitoring was lax and workers down the chain of command did not follow the prescribed norms and procedures for reporting any issues on the front line.  The management team failed to effectively monitor the work teams and failed to act on their responsibility to do so. Ben CHAN emphasized that “the MTR is an important transportation system for commuters and we find it very difficult to accept that the MTRC could mediocrely ‘muddle along’ on such important and routine repair work”.  On top of quickly implementing the many measures proposed in the report for preventing such accidents from happening again, Ben CHAN believes the most important issue is the MTRC must thoroughly reform itself top to bottom in their administrative, management and operational fields.  If not, the general public may no longer have confidence in the safety of the MTR. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Ben Chan 9274 7035

2020.03.03 The DAB Caring Fund set up the “Caring for You” campaign to provide financial assistance to residents heavily affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. DAB Legislative Councilors altogether donated a total of $3 million while we also invited party members, different sectors of society and the public to donate to the fund to render support to more families. DAB Chairperson Starry Lee says that the Corid-19 outbreak has heavily affected the economy of Hong Kong and the employment of many people in the city.  The DAB has continuously received calls for help from the grassroots that they have lost their jobs due to the virus and that this is affecting their daily lives. Even though the government has set aside $30 billion for the Anti-epidemic Fund, people who have lost their jobs did not benefit from the first round of dispensations by the fund.  Therefore, the DAB raised $3 million and set up the “Caring for you” campaign to help those who have lost their jobs or are underemployed. Applicants for the “Caring for you” campaign must prove that they lost their jobs during the outbreak, that they are not CSSA recipients, that they have children aged 18 and under and that they are undergoing financial difficulty at this time.  The campaign is organized through DAB branch offices and successful applicants are decided by branch office directors.  Each family that successfully applies for the campaign will receive anywhere from $2000 to $5000 according to each individual situation.  We estimate that 600 to 1500 families would benefit from the campaign. The campaign will start receiving applications from next week until the end of March.  The fund will be expedited as quickly as possible out of principle and we hope to put the money in the hands of applicants in need as soon as possible.  We will announce the final arrangements when we finish organizing the exact content and requirements of each application. DAB Chairperson Starry Lee emphasizes that this fund has its limits and that the outbreak will continue for some time.  Therefore she urges members of society to donate to the fund and then the DAB will announce further relief measures according to the donations received. Media Inquiries: Starry LEE, DAB Chairperson 7770 0820

2020.03.04 The High Court has made its ruling on the PRH application issue for same-sex couples and the government side has lost.  DAB Legislative Councillor Holden Chow points out that this verdict will allow same-sex couples married overseas to apply for PRH housing and this gives the impression to the public that same-sex marriage is now legal in the HKSAR.  He was disappointed with the ruling and said that he had received grave concern from parents and organization about the court decision. There is a fear within the public that the decision would undermine traditional family values in Hong Kong. Though he respects sexual diversity, he anticipates the legalization of same-sex marriage will have far-reaching consequences on issues including child adoption, definition of marriage in children’s textbooks, etc.  All these worries cannot be swept under the carpet.  Holden urges the government to file an appeal. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Holden Chow 3703 9870

2020.03.04 A group of DAB Legislative Councillors and Central Committee members met with Financial Secretary Paul Chan and his staff regarding the HK$10,000 cash payout scheme (“the scheme”), and urged the government to utilize its own mechanisms such as the OAA, CSSA, OALA, disability allowance and student grants and also the former “Caring and Sharing Scheme” to directly disburse the handouts to residents in a fast and simple manner.  At the same time, the government should plan ahead and set up a central database to manage future disbursement and dissemination of information effectively. DAB Chairperson Starry LEE added that those 1.25 million recipients of the CSSA, OALA, OAA, Guangdong scheme, Fujian scheme, the disability allowance and work incentive transport subsidy scheme are most in need and they should get the handouts immediately after the approval of the Budget.  At the same time, the government should speed up the disbursement process by utilizing the Student Grant mechanism and last year’s “Caring and Sharing Scheme”. They should discuss issues of data privacy with the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Department of Justice, and obtain the recipient’s consent in prior before disbursing handouts directly. Meanwhile, Starry said that the government took about half a year and nearly a year respectively to complete the disbursement of $6,000 in 2011 and $4,000 in last year’s “Caring and Sharing Scheme”.  The DAB suggested that the HKSAR government should learn from Macao’s experience and set up a permanent central database to reduce administrative and time costs when sharing the fruits of economic development, disseminating information or handing out surgical masks. Elizabeth QUAT also considered that data collected through registration or in the distribution system should not be for single-use only.  The government has to treasure this opportunity to develop smart government and smart city, and set up a permanent centralized database system by establishing electronic IDs for the population. Elizabeth QUAT and Ben CHAN quoted the government staff at the meeting that the government is setting up two systems – one for registration and one for disbursement, and connecting them to the system of the Immigration Department.  The registration for the handouts is estimated to start in July.  A resident will receive the handouts sooner if he applies online via online banking.  But if applications are done via HKICL, it will not be any faster. Wilson OR demanded the government to strengthen its ability to promote and disseminate of latest news to prevent unnecessary chaos.  At the same time, physical application forms should be provided for those without online banking accounts.  The government should make good use of the District Offices and Sub-offices, offices of the Housing Authority or facilities of the LCSD as well as postal offices for residents to apply or receive the handouts. Last but not least, Starry LEE said that the government should also use a fast and simple payout procedure to benefit non-permanent residents through the Community Care Fund. Media Inquiries: Starry LEE, DAB Chairperson 7770 0820

2020.03.05 DAB Legislative Councillors met with the Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung and submitted four main proposals to expand the scope of the Anti-epidemic Fund (“the Fund”). 1. Quickly announce the implementation details of the first phase of the Fund and strengthen the announcement arrangements. It has been nearly two weeks since the Legislative Council Finance Committee approved the Fund.  No concrete arrangements of the measures have been announced and many industries are at risks of closing down without receiving any assistance.  Therefore, the government should quickly announce the measures in detail. In regards to the announced measures, many industries reported that they have not received any official notifications from the government and have only learned of the funding via media.  Official release of information needs to be improved so that relevant industries can learn of the details in good time. 2. Expand the scope of the Fund. Currently, many industries are not covered by the Fund.  We urge the government to expand the scope of the Fund to cover industries of beauty, laundry, food suppliers, private kindergartens, children education centers, cross-border transportation, IT, real estate agents and mechanical engineering industries to prevent a large-scale shutdowns or layoffs. Also, the government should provide special subsidies to workers at private residential care homes and expand the scope of the Hardship Allowance to cover all cleansing workers and security guards as they are all involved in anti-epidemic work. 3. Encourage property owners to cut rents by offering a 200% tax deduction. We propose the government to provide a 200% tax deductions for property owners so as to encourage them to cut rents and stand alongside their tenants to navigate these difficult times together. 4. Set up a fund for the unemployed during adversity. We request the government to set up a fund to assist the unemployed, underemployed and those taking leave without pay to tide over this difficult time. Media Inquiries: Starry LEE, DAB Chairperson 7770 0820

2020.03.06 Under the threat of Covid-19, many local residents are heeding the call of the government to stay home.  However, many commuters have seen their monthly passes and citysavers expire, forcing them to buy new ones. Meanwhile, the Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 has been commissioned and many residents have expressed that the fares are too high.  It has put a financial burden on these commuters during this economic downturn. We hope the MTRC will perform its social responsibilities and tide over this difficult time with the public by proactively considering the following proposals: Lengthen the eligibility period for monthly passes by at least one month. Review the existing fare structure and reset the fares for the West Rail Line and Tung Chung Line by comparing to the fares of the East Rail as a way to lower the current fares. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Ben Chan 9274 7035 Kwun Tong District Councilor Frankie Ngan 6600 2511

2020.03.06 DAB Legislative Councillors Wilson OR and Vincent CHENG welcome the Legislative Council Finance Committee’s approval of the $5 billion funding scheme for the transitional housing project to provide a total of 15,000 units within the next three years.  They demand the government to take the lead in building transitional housing units and set the level of the rent at 25% of the resident’s income at most. Wilson OR reiterates that it is irresponsible for the government to only provide funding only and “outsource” the building of transitional housing to NGOs solely.  Actually, the government (especially the Housing Authority and the Housing Society) definitely has the financial resources, manpower and experience to build transitional housing units.  The quarantine centers with hundreds of units have only took one month to finish, including flattening the land and installing utilities.  How is it impossible for the government to build transitional housing?  Therefore, Wilson OR urges the government again to directly participate in the building of transitional housing.  In the medium and long term, the building of public housing needs to be speeded up to avoid tenants in transitional housing being not able to move into public housing after 6 years. Wilson OR also notes that the financial resources of NGOs is limited.  These NGOs have to run through hoops to pay the upfront construction cost even though the government provides subsidies. Therefore, the government must simplify the procedure of reimbursement of the payment.  Also, the scheme should provide an allowance to subsidize the preservation and maintenance costs of transitional housing facilities by these NGOs. Vincent CHENG estimates that currently there are 100,000 local residents living in subdivided flats and 200,000 living in inadequate housing.  Moreover, there may be over ten NGOs participating in building transitional housing in the near future.  The government should assist the NGOs to set up a centralized platform for grassroot families to apply for transitional housing. In terms of the level of rent for transitional housing, Vincent believes that “40% of the Income and Asset Limits for public housing” is too high.  For example, the income and asset limit for a family of two in public housing is $18,690, and the upper limit for rent in transitional housing can reach $7,500 which is a 50% increase on the current $5,000 rent for subdivided flats.  It is unrealistic and unreasonable.  The DAB proposes that the upper limit should not be more than 25% of the tenant’s income or else it would be no different from staying in subdivided flats. Media Inquiries: Legislative Councilor Vincent Cheng (6373 1979)​、Wilson Or (9266 1035)