Heung Yee Kuk

For the functional constituency, see Heung Yee Kuk (constituency).
Heung Yee Kuk
鄉議局

Emblem of the Heung Yee Kuk
Agency overview
Formed 1959
Headquarters 30 On Muk Street, Shek Mun, Shatin, N.T.
Agency executives
Website www.heungyeekuk.org
Heung Yee Kuk
Traditional Chinese 鄉議局
Simplified Chinese 乡议局
Literal meaning Rural Council

The Heung Yee Kuk (lit. 'Rural Council'), officially the 'Heung Yee Kuk N.T.', is a statutory advisory body representing establishment interests in the New Territories, Hong Kong.

Colloquially shortened to 'the Kuk', the powerful organisation comprises representatives of each rural committee.

From 1980 to 2015 it was led by Lau Wong-fat, as chairman, a billionaire landowner and now heavyweight political figure in the pro-Beijing camp,[1] until he stepped down and was succeeded by his son Kenneth Lau Ip-keung.[2]

The organisation has its own functional constituency in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

History

The Heung Yee Kuk was established in 1926, to "work and negotiate with the government to promote the welfare of the people of the New Territories".[3] It was given formal status by the Heung Yee Kuk Ordinance (Chapter 1097), first enacted 11 December 1959 (originally as 45 of 1959).

Over the years the organisation has dabbled in charity work. For example, in 1966 it donated HK$660,000 to found the Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School, in Yuen Long.

References

  1. ↑ Bridge Builder, Christine Loh, Civic Exchange
  2. ↑ Ng, Kang-chung (1 June 2015). "Heung Yee Kuk chairman steps into father's shoes saying he'll seek his advice". South China Morning Post.
  3. ↑ HKBU receives HK$1 million to publish history of Heung Yee Kuk N.T., HKBU Communications Office, 28 April 2011
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/2/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.