The State Council in Beijing has formally removed Winnie Ho Wing yin from the post of Secretary for Housing in Hong Kong, Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The decision was taken in accordance with the Basic Law and on the recommendation of Chief Executive John Lee. It is the formal completion of a departure that began last week: Ho tendered her resignation on October 28, and Lee announced on October 29 that he had accepted it as she took political responsibility for the Wang Fuk Court fire.
The fire, on November 26, 2025 at a subsidised housing estate in Tai Po undergoing renovation, spread through seven high rise blocks and killed 168 people, displacing more than 4,600 residents. The judge led independent committee that reported last week, in more than 1,000 pages, found that no government department took effective ownership of fire safety issues, that complaints about hazards fell into a vacuum, and that bid rigging was widespread in the renovation sector. It found no personal wrongdoing by Ho, whose accountability rests on the Independent Checking Unit sitting under her bureau.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong is acting as Secretary for Housing while keeping his existing portfolio. Lee has apologised on behalf of the government, promised laws criminalising bid rigging with fines of up to 10 million Hong Kong dollars and 10 years in prison, and set up an independent team to examine whether other officials should face discipline. Seven individuals and two companies face separate criminal charges.
Status: the removal is effected, an appointment of a permanent successor has not been announced. The open items are the disciplinary team’s findings and the resettlement programme for displaced households, both of which now sit with the acting secretary.