The management of a Tai Wai housing estate has changed a building’s door code from 8964 following complaints from residents that it amounted to “political advocacy.”

The number is linked to the date of the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4, 1989. An email sent to the management of the Mai Shing Court estate last Thursday said some residents were deeply unhappy over the management’s “active political declaration and advocacy.”

The resident of Fai Shing House urged management to reconsider its choice of numbers: “I would not rule out following up on the political declaration with district councillor Kelly Tung and lawmaker Elizabeth Quat.” Both Tung and Quat are of the pro-Beijing DAB party.

The complaint email (left); The management response (right). Photo: Facebook.

The resident said the passcode for the estate’s Kwai Shing House – 2018 – was “rather normal,” but that of another building – 1997 – was also political as it refers to the year of the Handover.

The management issued a notice the next day saying that it did not intend to use politically sensitive numbers. It said a new door code will be sent to residents to prevent misunderstanding and discord.

The notice was shared almost 600 times after it was posted on a Sha Tin residents’ Facebook group last Saturday.

District councillor Tung said she did not believe the passcode was politically sensitive. “8964 and 1997 are just sets of numbers – I don’t believe there is a big political issue,” she told Apple Daily.

Photo: Chan Ching-wah/Citizen News.

A resident surnamed Lo told the newspaper that the incident may be related to the pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps campaigning for a seat in the 2019 District Council election. He accused the pro-Beijing camp of “stirring up” the matter.

Apple Daily also reported that a security guard threatened to break a reporter’s camera, but residents helped the reporter to leave the scene.

The Mai Shing Court estate is run by Easy Living Consultant Limited.