Any potential Hong Kong cabinet reshuffle will take place only after the investigation into the deadly Tai Po blaze wraps up, sources have told the Post, following a media report suggesting two ministers were set to step down.
A government spokesman on Thursday did not deny the report suggesting that Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai would step down โin the near futureโ, adding only that the administration would not comment on โspeculative reportsโ.
In response to the rumours, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told his cabinet in a meeting on Thursday morning that any move to replace ministers had to be โbased on factsโ and deferred until the completion of the investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire last November that killed at least 168 people, according to two insiders.
They added that Lee had said the report concerning the departures of Tsang and Ho was just speculation.
Tsang caused a stir on Thursday morning when he did not attend the Legislative Council meeting and had Undersecretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Clement Woo Kin-man taking part on his behalf.
The bureau subsequently said Tsang had โother official engagements in the morningโ.
Hours after the news report, Ho published a social media post at night to share the governmentโs elderly-friendly design and facilities in public homes.