Hong Kong chief executive hopeful Woo Kwok-hing throws support behind small-house policy as court challenge looms

Retired judge makes appearance at major Heung Yee Kuk rally but denies campaigning for rural votes, after High Court gives green light to judicial review application of controversial policy

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A rally organised by the Heung Yee Kuk took place in Yuen Long on Sunday. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 12:00pm, 4 Dec 2016Updated: 9:42am, 15 Dec 2016

Chief executive aspirant Woo Kwok-hing on Sunday called on the government to speed up applications by rural villagers to build small houses and hit out at incumbent leader Leung Chun-ying for “misleading” and “irresponsible” comments on the controversial policy.

The retired judge was speaking at a high-profile rally organised by the Heung Yee Kuk, the powerful rural body that represents the interests of indigenous villagers, but denied he was campaigning for votes. The kuk holds 26 votes in the 1,200-strong Election Committee which decides who should lead Hong Kong.

The rally came after it was revealed a judicial review application challenging the small-house policy had been given the go-ahead by the High Court.

The application, submitted by Kwok Cheuk-kin, a Cheung Chau resident with a long record of applying for judicial reviews, was filed in December last year requesting cancellation of the policy. The High Court granted leave to apply for a judicial review on November 18.

The small-house policy allows indigenous male residents of old villages in the New Territories to build a three-storey village house. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Woo, who remains the only prominent figure to have declared his interest in the city’s top post, unexpectedly turned up at the kuk rally in Yuen Long on Sunday afternoon, when thousands of villagers arrived to defend their “traditional” and “historical” land rights.