Jenkin Suen SC told an independent committee inquiry on Thursday that contractors’ deceit, inaction and deliberate omission caused the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po.
Wrapping up the government’s arguments, Suen attributed the inferno to contractors who exploited regulatory regimes built on trust in the private sector.
He acknowledged that the disaster revealed systemic issues such as overreliance on professional self-regulation and gaps in oversight. Suen stressed, however, that these weaknesses should not be seen as the main cause.
The legislative framework had been shaped by public calls to reduce compliance costs for low-risk works. “The government can understand why authorities’ failures are often subject to strict public scrutiny, but one must not lose sight of other stakeholders,” he said.
