Lawmaker Zooms In The Fast Lane During Legco Meeting

Lawmakers were supposed to be ‘zooming’ during an online Legislative Council panel meeting on Thursday, but not in the way that Kwok Wai-keung did it.

Reporters covering the meeting quickly spotted something unusual about the Federation of Trade Unions councillor – even though he was using a photo of the Legco complex as his virtual background, he was obviously wearing a seatbelt.

An ornament that had previously been spotted hanging off his rear-view mirror also swung into view every now and then, and the lawmaker looked around far more often than one would be expected to during a video conference, in a manner more consistent with someone cruising around on the roads, not online.

Some reporters noted that Kwok may have committed the offence of careless driving – which is punishable by a prison term of up to six months, plus a maximum fine of HK$5000.

Kwok later indirectly admitted to driving while zooming in a social media post, saying “don’t worry everyone, I found a suitable place to park my car to continue to the meeting as quickly as possible.”

He tried to make light of the matter, saying the heating in his car has turned his vehicle into a shelter from the recent cold snap, adding that he had been running around to serve the community.

He ended the post with a call for the public to pay attention to road safety.

But some people left critical comments on his post.

"You should turn yourself in. Be a law-abiding Hong Konger," one user wrote, while others said his pro-government stance should be an effective shield against prosecution.

Some were more supportive, with one user questioning why it should be considered a crime for Kwok to attend meetings while driving, saying it’s just proof he was working hard.