A public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has heard that authorities and representatives of Wang Fuk Court homeowners took no proactive steps against alleged vote rigging at the subsidised housing estate.

Jason Kong Cheung-fat, a former management committee member of the owners’ corporation at Wang Fuk Court, said on Monday that the abuse of proxy votes was a long-standing problem that had enabled his predecessors to maintain a firm grip on power until they were ousted over a HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) renovation project.

The inferno that raged across seven of the Tai Po residential estate’s eight buildings in November last year was the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since 1948, killing 168 people and leaving nearly 5,000 homeless.

All eight towers had been under renovation and covered with bamboo scaffolding and mesh netting since the summer of 2024.

Prestige Construction and Engineering, which submitted the costliest bid among 57 proposals, won the renovation contract under unusual circumstances, with 570 votes reportedly cast at a January 2024 meeting attended by only 293 people.

Tang Kwok-kuen, the chairman of the committee at the time, reportedly ignored calls to overturn the decision, while forcing homeowners to pay up to HK$180,000 per flat within six months.

Tang and other members were ousted in September 2024.

Kong, who served on both the old and new committees, said neither iteration of the body had taken proactive steps against proxy voting problems.

He also highlighted suspected corrupt practices during an election for the committee’s vice-chairman in 2024, in which he was the No 2 candidate.

He said a resident told him after the poll that many proxy votes were filled in advance and favoured the No 1 contender, who was the incumbent vice-chairman.

When he lodged a complaint with the Home Affairs Department a few days later, he was told that the authorities “did not pay special attention” to the matter but would keep tabs on it in the future.

“The problem was never dealt with in the end,” the witness said.

Kong, who first joined the committee in May 2024, said he was isolated under Tang’s leadership and barred from viewing documents at several meetings.

He said he was initially unaware that a report, which estimated the total cost of the project, was purportedly signed in September 2022 by William Shum, a registered inspector of Wang Fuk Court’s project, who in fact died two months earlier.

In the new committee, Kong said he and other residents relied on the professional judgment of Prestige and project consultant Will Power Architects Company for fire safety measures during renovations.

Although Prestige was required to supply temporary fibreglass containers while freshwater tanks were repaired, the contractor instead used the buildings’ fire water tanks.

Kong cited Prestige director Gordon Ho Kin-yip as saying he was concerned that the rooftops were not robust enough to support additional structures.

He said Will Power initially urged Prestige to consider replacing the polyfoam boards used to seal windows with fire-resistant material.

But Will Power director Wong Hap-yin later made a “U-turn” and said the flammable covering was acceptable if its use was temporary, the inquiry heard.

Kong said the new committee pressured Prestige to crack down on workers smoking while on scaffolding, suggesting that offenders be fined and asked to leave.

However, no penalties were ever imposed after Ho urged the committee to give the company time to “train” its workers.

The committee also overlooked the risks of replacing fireproof windows at emergency exits with movable wooden boards, as it was more concerned with a heightened risk of burglary at the time.

Kong said Prestige failed to provide a fire-resistance certificate for scaffolding nets used to replace those damaged in two typhoons last year, despite repeated requests from Will Power and residents.

He said he lodged a complaint with authorities about substandard mesh possibly being used, but felt they had not taken the issue seriously.

He cited last October’s major scaffolding blaze at Chinachem Tower in Central as a clear warning.

“Law enforcement agencies did not fulfil their duties,” Kong said. “Had inspections been conducted sooner, this fire could definitely have been avoided. I did everything I could possibly do within my capabilities. I felt really helpless.”

The hearing continues at City Gallery in Central on Tuesday.