Hong Kong tycoon Allan Zeman on Sunday called on the public to take advantage of the Legislative Council election to voice their opinion, saying it is a great opportunity and the voting is “well-organized”.

In an interview with China Daily after casting his vote, Zeman, also known as the father of Lan Kwai Fong, said the Legislative Council represents the people of Hong Kong and is a safeguard against the SAR government to make sure that bills get passed in the right way, which is good for the city.

The chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group remarked on the lineup of fresh faces in the candidates this year, with average age of 48, which is important for the city’s endeavor to catch up in areas such as technology and AI.

Zeman also commended the government for putting together a good voting system, saying the voting process is a “no-brainer”, smooth and well-organized.

He also placed high hopes on the new batch of lawmakers, saying they will face immediate tasks, such as the post-fire reconstruction and reviewing the city’s systems.

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In the long term, the new lawmakers will need to deal with tasks such as aligning with the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), and promoting deeper integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he added.

Zeman also praised the government for its efforts to take care of residents displaced by the deadly blaze in Tai Po, saying the extensive care and assistance would be impossible in other countries.

He also said he expected the new legislature to pass laws to prevent such a tragic event ever happening again.

Zeman also took note of the “unfair” criticism by Western media on Hong Kong SAR and China over the fire, saying they should fix problems in their own countries before pointing fingers at others.

Ida Xue contributed to the story.