Society

Halloween revellers dressing up as characters of Squid Game - the viral Korean dystopian drama on Netflix -  carry imitation guns on the streets on Sunday, despite police warning that possession of fake firearms may violate the law.  Phoebe Ng, 24, dressing up as one of the guards in Squid Game, wore a red hooded red jumpsuit and pair of black leather gloves - and held a fake gun labelled “TOY” by herself.  “The label can lower my risk of being suspected by the police. I don’t think it looks like a real gun,” she said.  Squid Game, the first Korean drama that hit the No.1 spot on Netflix, features a story of 456 indebted players completing a series of Korean children’s games to win a reward of KRW$45.6 billion (HK$301.1 million). The guards shoot the participants who lose in the games.  “According to past experience, some members of the public would wear costumes or pose as TV or movie characters during Halloween and bring all kinds of theatrical props with them. In this regard, police urge members of the public not to carry any imitation firearm as props,” a police statement released on Friday read.  Offenders may face a maximum of two years of imprisonment if convicted of owning any imitation firearms.  “I don’t think the police statement has stopped people from buying fake guns as part of their props to celebrate Halloween,” said Kelvin Li, a shop owner of a wholesale and retail of soft guns which he has run for over 10 years.  “The sales of our imitation and toy guns have grown drastically this month compared to September,” he added.    Firearms arms are defined as an air gun, such as an air rifle, air gun or air pistol from which a bullet or missile can …

Ocean Park’s Halloween Festival ended last Sunday without the traditional haunted house because of the pandemic. It’s the first time in  20 years that the spooky experience is missing  since the annual event started in 2001. Instead, visitors were treated to  “ghosts” performances in open space and three themed interactive games.  On top of the regular entrance fee, visitors who wanted to play the games had to pay an extra HK$280 for all three or HK$100 for one. "I lined up for more than two hours for a game, but I only played for five minutes, and it was over," said Christy Lau, 23, who paid for one of the interactive games. “I don’t think the games were worth my time and ticket money.” The three games include “Forbidden Rainforest Treasure Hunt”, in which participants have to protect their treasure maps from water gun attacks. The other two are “Survivors of the Undead” in which players go on a treasure hunt in a mock up wasteland while under attack, and “The Supernatural Ghost Tour,” where they are haunted by soul catchers.  “I don't think the Halloween events this year are as fun as the haunted house before,” said Yu Jin, 19, who had spent four Halloweens at Ocean Park in the past. “The games are all basic and not scary at all. I think Ocean Park is perfunctory about Halloween this year.” Tourists can also join the free outdoor attractions during specified time slots, and “ghosts” with different costumes will scare people in and around the park. Timothy Ng, executive director of Ocean Park said in a press release that Halloween events are mainly carried out in open space this year due to Covid prevention measures. Ticket prices have gone up because more resources and manpower were needed to host …

Scanning the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code is mandatory for anyone entering government facilities from today. That includes wet markets, public libraries, swimming pools, police stations and much more. There are QR codes posted at every entrance of most government buildings. “This measure is useful in tracking Covid cases, but it may lead to long queues at many public facilities,” said Jenny Chong Hing-Lin, 59, a housewife. But the new measure did not appear to have caused any long lines or waiting time at Wing Fong Street market in Kwai Hing “Actually, there are already a lot of people inside. It would be very annoying if we need to line up. Maybe I would rather buy groceries in the supermarket,” said Suki Chan Lai-yin, 44, an office assistant who goes shopping three times a week.  In August, about five million people had installed the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile application, but by Oct. 26, that has increased to six million, according to government statistics. “Everyone entering all government buildings is required to use ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ which is convenient for tracing close contacts of future infection cases,” the chief executive said on Oct. 26.  Children under 12 years and elderly people over 65 years are exempted from the LeaveHomeSafe mandate. But 74-year-old Szeto King, who goes to the wet market every day, was using the app all the same. “I’ll still use the ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ application to scan the codes which only takes a few seconds,” said Szeto. People who are exempted need to fill in a registration form when accessing government facilities. Government officers may call these visitors to verify their personal information.  Entry to public toilets, public bathrooms, cemeteries, grave gardens and garbage collection points do not require use of the app. 

Residents in Tai Hang Sai Estate rallied on Thursday with demands for proper placement and more communication with the developer and the government in the redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai Estate. "One house for one house, relocation needs common agreement," the crowd chanted before Man Lok House. "We do not object to the reestablishment, but we demand to reach an agreement with the company to care more about the seniors," said 64-year-old Tam Kwok-kiu, the former District Councilor of the region.  “The government should carry the responsibility to help our relocation." "There are no specific numbers of the money or any detailed application scheme," said 50-year-old resident Robert Chang. He works for a trading company and owns other properties. Apart from the subsidy problem, Chan said a larger concern is for the elderly to find places to live. He once asked a senior resident to rent a house with his grandchild, but the landlord still rejected the deal.  "The landlords probably worried about the old passing away in their properties, which would affect the future businesses," he said. "I could barely move anything downstairs. Not to mention no one would rent a house to me at such an old age," said 90-year-old Pun Git-fong, who has been living in the estate since its completion.  The government and the company offer residents six months to move out of the buildings, according to the reestablishment plan.  "It is not enough for the residents. We have more than 1000 people, and it's impossible to find enough house units within the period," said Au-yoeng Git-zan, commissioner of Residents' Right Concern Group of Tai Hang Sai Estate.  Established in 1965, Tai Hang Sai Estate provided 1600 units for the tenants for 56 years. None of the eight buildings in the estate has elevators, while 32% …

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ordered on Tuesday the Companies Registry to strike off the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, citing “risks of endangering national security the group may bring about.” Lam and her advisers in the Executive Council, said the alliance, which organized Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil, “had always maintained and promoted” its five operational goals - including “ending one-party dictatorship” - which carried the meaning of “ending the China Communist Party’s leadership,” the press release read.   Its operation “amounted to seeking to overthrow the basic system of the People's Republic of China…with a view of subverting the state power…,” it added.   The decision was made after considering recommendations and views from Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee and Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, it said.  The move is “unnecessary and reductant” as the alliance had already voted to disband, Tsoi Yiu-Cheong Richard, a former secretary for the alliance and now its liquidator, wrote in an open letter. “The alliance does not see that the government has sufficient evidence to claim its existence endangers national security, public safety and public order,” he added.  The alliance “had long engaged in activities subverting the country,” deeming it “a malignant tumour that undermines Hong Kong’s stability,” the spokesperson for the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, said. It was a “just action to safeguard national security,” the spokesperson added.  Founded in 1989, the alliance organised the annual June 4 Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to advocate for a democratic mainland China, often with crowds over 100,000. Police banned the commemoration for the last two years, citing Covid concerns. Seven core members of the alliance, including chair Lee Cheuk-yan, vice-chair Albert Ho Chun-yan and vice-chair …

Additional quarantine hotel rooms for arriving domestic helpers were snapped up in minutes, again, leaving employers and agencies upset over the lack of supply.  The government added 500 quarantine rooms for foreign domestic helpers at the Rambler Garden Hotel in Tsing Yi with booking beginning today. But many Hongkong families were left hanging. “I think all slots were snapped up within two to three minutes, like the other two quarantine facilities, ” said Chan Tung-fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies. The hotel will release new rooms every day, the Labour Department said.  The Rambler Garden Hotel is the third facility, following the Silka Tsuen Wan Hotel and Penny's Bay Government Quarantine Centre, to be designated for the mandatory 21-day quarantine for arriving foreign domestic helpers, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia.  Chan estimated that it would take another six months for the 6,000 foreign domestic helpers waiting to enter Hong Kong to arrive, taking into account the current daily quota of a maximum of 50.  Chan also called the appointment arrangement “very unsatisfactory” as the hotel’s server had a system error when bookings began at 9:30 am today.  Yoyo Kwok, who has employed a foreign domestic helper currently waiting in Indonesia, said she was unable to make a booking for her to come to Hong Kong.  “I was very angry. When I reached the booking page at 9:30, there were already no room vacancies for 21 consecutive days, ” Kwok said. Rambler Garden Hotel did not reply to requests for comment.  Kwok added that she attempted to book the Penny’s Bay quarantine centre, another designated quarantine facility, several times but was unsuccessful, saying that there was a serious lack of quarantine rooms for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong.  The 500 new rooms are in addition …

  NGOs warn that the homeless population of the city, especially those without a smartphone, might struggle to access government facilities and services as the government seeks to mandate the use of the LeaveHomeSafe app when entering government buildings. Anyone entering government buildings including government employees and the public will have to use the government-mandated “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app for accessing government buildings and offices from 1 Nov, according to a press release.  “I usually go to the municipal services buildings and community centres nearby. I will take a rest in the library and take showers in the toilet of the stadium,” said Wong, who has been homeless for 30 years and sleeps on the Mongkok footbridge.  Nicole Yee, a volunteer of The Salvation Army Integrated Service for Street Sleepers said the homeless relied on government services and that the new measure would affect their daily lives. “Many of them don’t know how to write, using smartphones will definitely be harder for them to enter the facilities,” Yee said.  The measure comes after concerns from the government of potentially false information given in the forms which are filled instead of the app  "We notice that incomplete or even false personal particulars may be provided as we currently allow the registration of only the registrant's name and contact number as an alternative,” a government spokesman said.  The spokesman added that false personal particulars may “give rise to the risk of a community outbreak”. Under the new arrangement, people aged below 12 or aged 65 or above, and those with disabilities will be exempted from using the app. “The government has to let the homeless who do not have smartphones sign the form anyway and help them out from this issue,” said Sze Lai-shan, the community organizer of the Society for Community Organisation …