Incoming lawmakers prepare to take oaths

Hong Kong’s 90 newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in at a ceremony on Monday, marking the start of the new Legislative Council’s four-year term.

It’s the first formal duty for the lawmakers, who were elected under Beijing’s revamped electoral system in December’s poll. Chief Executive Carrie Lam will administer the oaths.

Speaking on RTHK’s Hong Kong Today programme on Monday, one of the incoming lawmakers, David Lam of the new health and medical services functional constituency, set out his priorities.

He said his immediate priority was the likelihood of an impending outbreak of the coronavirus after a number of cases linked to a restaurant in Kowloon Tong. In the longer term, he would promote policies to help the SAR deal with its aging population.

“So what we have to do is to develop a community healthcare system, where Hong Kong is lacking,” he told RTHK’s Vicky Wong. “And on this I think the government, ourselves and others in academia are in alignment.

“So what we have to do is to discuss with the government, make sure they understand our concerns and we’ll take it forward together. I’m optimistic that we will be able to develop such a system in the next few years.”