Hong Kong should be very concerned about the recent flurry of cases involving misbehaviour in the construction industry. It would be too easy to write them off as isolated incidents when they could just as easily be straw in the wind, indicating a serious underlying malaise.
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One high-profile case is the Anderson Road quarry redevelopment by CK Asset Holdings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 10 suspects earlier this year for allegedly paying or receiving bribes in connection with steel reinforcement work which may not have been carried out properly. The Buildings Department has since initiated 205 prosecutions against six individuals and two companies.
The case is serious on at least two counts: it involves six residential towers providing nearly 3,000 flats which would represent a major contribution to Hong Kong’s housing stock; and the project is being undertaken by one of the city’s largest and most experienced property developers. If even one of the best can be misled, what could be happening lower down the ladder?
Another case involved the use of counterfeit building materials in MTR Corporation’s Tung Chung East station project. Though of seeming lesser importance, ensuring the use of genuine products is a minefield all its own.
Let’s not forget the East Rail Line cross-harbour extension to link up Sha Tin and Central was the subject of an official inquiry chaired by former non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal Michael Hartmann to investigate questionable engineering. I am surely not the only person to remember that he also chaired the expert panel investigating the delay in the construction of the cross-border express rail link.
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Clearly, Hong Kong is no stranger to problems in the construction sector.