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Mr Law arrived in Tai Po early on Sunday morning to pray at a makeshift memorial near his home of more than 40 years that had been destroyed in a deadly blaze that claimed the lives of 159 people.

He and his wife escaped their flat at one of the less severely affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court, when the fire broke out last Wednesday. Eleven days later, Hong Kong held its second “patriots only” legislative election after authorities vowed to press on.

In the wake of the fire, Hong Kong officials including leader John Lee have called on residents to cast their ballot in Sunday’s “patriots only” Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. Voting for their legislators would be the best way to help those affected by the Wang Fuk Court fire and to support the government’s reform efforts, Lee said.

Lee had earlier announced a judge-led “independent committee” to investigate the fire, which differs from a statutory commission of inquiry with special powers to summon witnesses and demand evidence.

A polling station has been set up at schools in the district, including one that is a 10-minute walk away from the memorial. Speaking to HKFP on Sunday, December 7, the day of the legislative polls, Law said he would not be voting.

“I’m just not in the mood,” he said, adding that he did not plan to cast his ballot, even before the fire ravaged his home. “To be frank, there aren’t many people for you to choose from,” he said of the legislative candidates. “I didn’t have high expectations anyway.”

As he spoke, a sizable deployment of more than 100 police officers patrolled the park and surrounding areas.

“We’re grateful that we were allowed to work and live in peace for 40-odd years,” the 73-year-old Law said, recounting how he watched the fire spread to his home across the street after escaping the blaze.

Two blocks, Wang Cheong House and Wang Tai House, were the first to burn. A special police unit found 70 and 82 bodies in the two housing blocks respectively. “Of course we’re happy to still be able to see our old neighbours, but it can still be quite upsetting,” he said, choking up.

He said of Lee’s independent committee: “I don’t care what you call it, just as long as you can get to the bottom of it.”

Sunday’s legislative elections are Hong Kong’s second since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system to ensure that only those deemed patriotic enough can run. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates.

The voter turnout stood at a record low of 30.2 per cent in the 2021 legislative race. As of 5.30pm Sunday, turnout had reached 23.8 per cent, but the polls opened an hour earlier than in 2021 and will close an hour later.

Promotions for the election were in full swing in the months-long lead-up to polling day, while corporations and major charities have offered incentives, such as paid leave, to have employees cast their votes. Voters, mostly elderly ones, were also bussed to the polls on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s corruption watchdog, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has made 11 arrests in total for urging a boycott of the elections or invalid votes.

Hong Kong’s election laws permit polls to be postponed for no more than 14 days, beyond which emergency legislation would need to be invoked.

At a polling station set up at the Hong Kong Teachers’ Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School, just a 10-minute walk from the memorial, 81-year-old Choi had just finished voting.

He said he hoped lawmakers would push for stricter enforcement of laws, from a blanket ban on smoking at worksites proposed on Saturday, to legislation against bid-rigging, which chief executive Lee said would fall within the ambit of the probe.

“When the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office was first set up, enforcement was so strict,” he recalled. “It can’t be fines, it has to be jail time.”

The exact cause of the fire that engulfed seven of the estate’s eight residential towers has not been established, though authorities have pointed to substandard scaffold netting as one of the causes for the rapid spread of the blaze, while residents at Wang Fuk Court have recounted incidents of workers smoking at the site after the repair work began in July 2024.

“The fire alarms didn’t even go off. The government needs to close these loopholes,” Choi added. “As for whether I’m confident in [lawmakers’] ability to urge the government, that’ll be a matter for later.”

Another Tai Po resident, Leung, had also just voted. “Of course I hope lawmakers will be able to do their part. I could see the fire from my home. Seeing that, it weighs on your heart,” said the 60-year-old.

Chan and To, both in their 40s, also told HKFP they had no plans to vote as they stood by the makeshift altar near Wang Fuk Court.

Chan, who lives at a nearby estate, said she was among the volunteers who took part in grassroots relief efforts at the neighbouring Kwong Fuk Estate after the fire broke out.

She had friends who lived in Wang Fuk Court, including some that managed to escape, and others who passed away in the fire. Chan also said she hoped the government relief efforts could be strengthened, as it took some of her friends more than a week to be allocated a place to stay temporarily.

“I haven’t voted in years,” said To. “There aren’t really any candidates that I feel are able to represent me.”

But Chan still hoped the next ‘’patriots only” legislature would be vocal on the issue: “In their positions, lawmakers should do everything they can,” she said. “Politics should never be a part of that discussion,” she said, when asked if she was worried lawmakers would be muted on the issue.

Ahead of the elections, Hong Kong authorities reportedly arrested four people for sedition, including 24-year-old student Miles Kwan who handed out flyers and launched a petition calling for government accountability.

On Sunday, national security police arrested a 71-year-old man on suspicion of sedition and “prejudicing of investigation of offences endangering national security.” The arrest, unlike the previous three, was confirmed and announced by the police.

Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has also summoned international media representatives for a “regulatory talk,” saying some had spread false information and smeared the government in recent reports on the fire and Sunday’s elections.

In the wake of the fire, some have questioned whether it is appropriate to hold the elections less than two weeks after the tragedy.