HONG KONG: The government is being urged to hurry legislation enforcing safety checks on old buildings following Friday's collapse at 45J Ma Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan.

The motion will be tabled at today's Legislative Council to call for annual inspections of old buildings to become mandatory.

Patrick Lau, lawmaker representing the architectural, surveying and planning sector, said that the legislation had been considered for some time now, so it is the right time to talk about legislation.

"Mandatory inspections are essential to maintain building safety. We will consult different sectors to make the legislation more comprehensive," he said.

He expects the legislation will take a year to complete, covering different aspects including subsidies for the owners to carry out inspections.

Nicole Lau, Sham Shui Po District Councilor, wonders if the mandatory inspections of old buildings really is the answer to the problem of building safety.

"We need supports to come along with the legislation. How is the law going to be enforced? Are inspections to be made by the government or the owners? What if the owners are not able to carry out inspections?" she asked.

If the government does not tighten legislation and enhance the power of respective departments, she believes, the legislation will be "another toothless tiger".

Director of Buildings Au Choi-kai wants 45H Ma Tau Wai Road razed after the stabilization works.

Some 10 displaced residents who had refused to move to interim housing presented their petition at the headquarter of the Housing Authority yesterday and handed over a letter to the Director of Housing, saying they hoped they could be housed in the district where they had established homes or in the nearby public housing.

Director of Housing Thomas Chan said on a radio show that the flats in So Uk Estate have no water and electric supply, thus are not suitable for habitation.

He added that qualified residents could apply for public rental housing, and it is expected their applications can be processed in three to four weeks.

The Kowloon West Crime Unit continues to investigate the cause of collapse. The debris from the collapse has been moved to a vacant lot on Sung On Street, while police search for identification documents and valuables at the site.

Police have interviewed four local workers who had been doing renovation work on the ground floor of the building before the collapse. Two suspected illegal workers cannot be found.

(HK Edition 02/03/2010 page1)