Govt helping buildings improve fire safety: Mak
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak on Saturday said the Legislative Council is reviewing the Building Management Ordinance, to urge tenants to carry out renovation work, especially for old buildings.  Her comments came after five people died in a fire last month in a building with substandard fire safety equipment. Mak told an RTHK radio programme that some buildings might find it difficult to get tenants to attend a general meeting, and the renovation charges might cause disagreements. She said the city had many old buildings - especially in districts like Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City - and the government is reaching out to help tenants. "The Home Affairs Department has been actively assisting and helping the owners of the corporation to reach consensus among their tenants to carry out necessary repairs to maintain their building, to make sure that they will observe all the building's safety and fire safety requirements," she said. Mak added that the authorities had proposed under the amendment of the Building Management Ordinance that at least five percent of owners, or 100 owners, should vote in person for large-scale maintenance work.