Formed 1959 | Website www.heungyeekuk.org | |
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Headquarters 30 On Muk Street, Shek Mun, Shatin, N.T. Agency executives Kenneth Lau, Chairman
Cheung Hok-ming and Daniel Lam, Vice-Chairmen | ||
The Heung Yee Kuk (lit. 'Rural Council'), officially the 'Heung Yee Kuk N.T.', is a statutory advisory body representing establishment interests in the New Territories, Hong Kong.
Colloquially shortened to 'the Kuk', the powerful organisation comprises representatives of each rural committee.
From 1980 to 2015 it was led by Lau Wong-fat, as chairman, a billionaire landowner and now heavyweight political figure in the pro-Beijing camp, until he stepped down and was succeeded by his son Kenneth Lau Ip-keung.
The organisation has its own functional constituency in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
History
The Heung Yee Kuk was established in 1926, to "work and negotiate with the government to promote the welfare of the people of the New Territories". It was given formal status by the Heung Yee Kuk Ordinance (Chapter 1097), first enacted 11 December 1959 (originally as 45 of 1959).
Over the years the organisation has dabbled in charity work. For example, in 1966 it donated HK$660,000 to found the Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School, in Yuen Long.