1st Legislative Council of Hong Kong

1st Legislative Council of Hong Kong
← Provisional Legislative Council 2nd Legislative Council →
Legislative body	Legislative Council
Jurisdiction	Hong Kong
Meeting place	Legislative Council Building
Term	1 July 1998—30 June 2000
Website	legco.gov.hk/
Members	60 members
President	Rita Fan (Independent)
Party control	Pro-Beijing camp

The First Legislative Council of Hong Kong was the first meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government after the transfer of the sovereignty, replacing the Provisional Legislative Council existing between 1997 and 1998. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 1998 election. The term of the session was from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 2000, only two years unlike the latter legislative session of four years. The legislature was held during the first term of the Tung Chee-hwa's administration. The pro-democracy camp who did not participate in the Provisional Legislative Council held 20 seats with Democratic Party being the largest party. Notable newcomers to the Legislative Council included Cyd Ho, Bernard Chan, Lui Ming-wah, and Wong Yung-kan.

Major events

• 12 December 1999: The Legislative Council passed the controversial Provision of Municipal Services (Reorganization) Bill to repeal the two provisional municipal councils, the Urban Council and Regional Council.

Major legislation

Enacted

• 12 December 1999: Provision of Municipal Services (Reorganization) Bill^[1]

Composition

Graphical representation of the Legislative Council

•   Vacant seat

Leadership

Office	Party	Officer		Constituency	Since
President	Independent		Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai	Election Committee	1998

List of Members

The following table is a list of LegCo members elected on 24 May 1998 in the order of precedence.

Members who did not serve throughout the term are italicised. New members elected since the general election are noted at the bottom of the page.

Key to changes since legislative election:

^a = change in party allegiance

^b = by-election

^c = other change

By-elections

• 29 October 1998, a by-election was held for Regional Council constituency after some votes were found problematic. Tang Siu-tong won again in the by-election.
• 5 November 1998, Fung Chi-kin replaced Chim Pui-chung in the Financial Services by-eleection after Chim was found conspiring to forge documents in 1998, whereupon he was impeached and disqualified as a legislator by Legco.^[2][3]

Other changes

1999

• Ma Fung-kwok and Ng Ching-fai (Election Committee) co-founded the New Century Forum on 23 June 1999.

2000

• Ambrose Cheung (Urban Council) representing the Provisional Urban Council resigned from the Legislative Council as protest to the government's decision on abolishing the two municipal councils, Urban Council and Regional Council with effect from 1 January 2000.
• Lau Chin-shek (Kowloon West) was expelled from the Democratic Party in May 2000 because of having dual membership of both Democratic Party and The Frontier.^[4]

Committees

• Finance Committee— Chair: Ronald Arculli
  • Establishment Subcommittee— Chair: Philip Wong
  • Public Works Subcommittee— Chair: Ho Sai-chu
• Public Accounts Committee— Chair: Eric Li
• Committee on Members' Interests— Chair: David Chu
• House Committee— Chair: Leong Che-hung
  • Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee— Chair: Edward Ho
• Committee on Rules of Procedure— Chair: Selina Chow

Panels

• Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services— Chair: Margaret Ng
• Panel on Commerce and Industry— Chair: Kenneth Ting
• Panel on Constitutional Affairs— Chair: Andrew Wong
• Panel on Development— Chair: Lau Wong-fat
• Panel on Education— Chair: Yeung Yiu-chung
• Panel on Environmental Affairs— Chair: Christine Loh
• Panel on Financial Affairs— Chair: Ambrose Lau
• Panel on Health Services— Chair: Michael Ho
• Panel on Home Affairs— Chair: Choy So-yuk
• Panel on Housing— Chair: Lee Wing-tat
• Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting— Chair: Sin Chung-kai (1998–99), Ma Fung-kwok (1999–2000)
• Panel on Manpower— Chair: Fred Li (1998–99), Lau Chin-shek (1999–2000)
• Panel on Planning, Lands and Works— Chair: Edward Ho
• Panel on Public Service— Chair: Tam Yiu-chung
• Panel on Security— Chair: James To
• Panel on Transport— Chair: Miriam Lau
• Panel on Welfare Services— Chair: Chan Yuen-han

See also

• Hong Kong legislative election, 1998

References

Terms of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (and years begun) Provisional (1997) 1st (1998) 2nd (2000) 3rd (2004) 4th (2008) 5th (2012)