4 members of Hong Kong’s social worker regulator quit amid government push to reform body
- Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen says move by Social Workers Registration Board members reflects frustration over plan to increase government-appointed seats
Four elected members of Hong Kong’s regulator for social workers have stepped down in the past two weeks, with a lawmaker calling the move a protest against an effort to overhaul the body and give government appointees greater influence.
The board’s website showed Chan Kwok-bong, Adino Chung Wai-lun and Phyllis Luk Fung-ping stepped down from the Social Workers Registration Board on Wednesday, not long after Lam Chiu-wan left.
“Their resignations reflect a loud voice in the profession that is against the government reform,” he said. “They also do not have confidence in the reformed structure of the body.”
Under the current system, the board comprises eight elected positions and another six appointed by the government, while the director of social welfare is an ex officio member.
The government bill aims to increase the number of board members from 15 to 27, with the new line-up comprising eight elected roles, 17 government-appointed ones, the social welfare director and a public officer.
