New principal officials pledged to serve Macao in unity

MACAU, December 1 - The appointed principal officials and the Prosecutor-General-designate to serve in the sixth-term Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government, have pledged to devote their utmost effort to realise the new-term Government’s vision of “Striving Together, Upholding Integrity and Innovating”, and to serve the country and Macao.

The Chief Executive-designate for the sixth-term Government, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today led the newly-appointed principal officials and Prosecutor-General-designate in a meeting with the press. The event followed the State Council’s appointment of those individuals, which it announced on Saturday (30 November).

The team of principal officials and the new Prosecutor-General comprises: Mr Cheong Weng Chon as Secretary for Administration and Justice; Mr Tai Kin Ip as Secretary for Economy and Finance; Mr Wong Sio Chak as Secretary for Security; Ms O Lam as Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Mr Tam Wai Man as Secretary for Transport and Public Works; Mr Chan Tsz King as Prosecutor-General; Ms Ao Ieong Seong as Commissioner Against Corruption; Ms Ao Ieong U as Commissioner of Audit; Mr Leong Man Cheong as Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service; and Mr Adriano Marques Ho as the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service. Among those, Mr Cheong Weng Chon, Mr Wong Sio Chak, and Mr Leong Man Cheong are reappointed as the Secretary for Administration and Justice, the Secretary for Security, and the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service, respectively.

During the press conference, the officials expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government for their respective appointment. They also thanked the Chief Executive-designate, for the trust shown in them.

Mr Cheong Weng Chon stated that in the new-term Government, he would work in line with the philosophy of “Striving Together, Upholding Integrity and Innovating”, in order to refine MSAR's legal system for safeguarding national security; and enhance the quality of public governance capabilities and governance standards through administrative reforms. He would pay heed to the public’s opinions and to suggestions from various sectors of society; continuously enhance municipal services and infrastructure; and create a better living environment for the residents.

Mr Tai Kin Ip stated that he would spare no effort in utilising the experience and knowledge accumulated over the years in the financial and economic fields, to serve the country and Macao. He expressed gratitude to all colleagues in the current economic and financial sector for their substantial work in the face of complex and changing circumstances over the past few years. This had laid a solid foundation for promoting economic recovery; and for advancing the “1+4” strategy for Macao’s appropriate economic diversification effort, as well as the next phase of such diversification effort, in the context of close collaboration with Hengqin. In the future, the financial and economic team would humbly listen to opinions from all sectors of society, unite in purpose, develop the economy, improve people’s livelihoods, and implement the governance philosophy and goals of the new-term Government.

Mr Wong Sio Chak expressed his commitment to continue implementing a people-first modern policing model established over the past five years. He would continue to uphold, in a proactive manner, the holistic view of national security, along with social order and public safety, and would serve the community via a comprehensive approach, continuously enhancing the overall effectiveness of prevention and control measures in relation to risk in such matters. Over the next five years, he would be guided by the principles of “Striving Together, Upholding Integrity and Innovating”, reviewing shortcomings, being vigilant, and taking responsibility. By employing various effective measures, he aimed to safeguard more efficiently national security, and to maintain social stability in Macao, striving to ensure that residents can live and work in harmony.

Ms O Lam stated that work in the social and cultural sector is closely related to people’s livelihoods. The incoming Chief Executive placed great emphasis on this sector in his policy agenda, demonstrating his high degree of focus. Ms O said that in the upcoming five years, she would uphold the spirit of loving the country and Macao, stay true to core aspirations, and serve the residents with diligence, humility, and dedication. The goal is to optimise a rule of law in Macao, to have a vibrant Macao, a Macao of culture, and a happy Macao, so that the city can achieve high-quality development under the “One country, two systems” principle.

Mr Tam Wai Man said that the work in the transportation and public works field covers various aspects of society and people’s livelihoods. He would uphold scientific and innovative thinking, professionalism, and a pragmatic attitude. He said he is dedicated to enhancing the level of urban construction, and strengthening the construction and maintenance of infrastructure related to people's livelihoods, so that they can align with, and actively integrate into, the overall development of the country. His team would address and improve matters on issues of concern to the public; conduct proactive promotion of policy; attentively listen to opinions from all sectors; and make every effort to enhance the quality of life for the people.

Mr Chan Tsz King stated that in his new position, he aimed to excel in terms of the comprehensive promotion of the goal of building a country, government, and society, based on rule of law. In accordance with the governance philosophy of the sixth-term Government, he would prioritise upholding national sovereignty, security, and development interests as the highest principles. He would do everything in his power to lead a group of judicial officers to enforce the law rigorously and fairly, ensuring justice. He had plans to strengthen coordination and teamwork among personnel in the Public Prosecutions Office, with each person fulfilling their duties effectively. Together, they would strive to create a team that can correctly wield judicial power, earning the trust and recognition of society and of the residents of Macao. The goal would be to make every effort to ensure that every resident of Macao feels fairness and justice in judicial cases.

Ms Ao Ieong Seong stated that in the future, she and her team would stand firm at their posts, fully cooperate with Mr Sam’s governance philosophy of building a clean, just, efficient, and fair rule-of-law society, and enhance the building of integrity. In terms of anti-corruption efforts, she would adhere to the principle of handling cases in accordance with the law; continue to crack down on corrupt practices in both the public and private sectors; and deepen integrity education, to achieve improvements in terms of addressing symptoms and fundamentals. In the field of administrative complaints, the goal would be good governance, supervising matters so that administrative organs carry out administrative procedures in accordance with the law. She and her team would spare no effort in promoting the improvement in the level and quality of public services within administrative bodies, as well as enhancing among public officials awareness of integrity and dedication.

Ms Ao Ieong U said the role given to Macao by the country has been increasingly prominent, and the work of the MSAR Government has also become more comprehensive and systematic. There was a higher expectation from the general public regarding audit work, especially in terms of performance audits. In the future, she would lead the team with a professional, independent, responsible, and objective attitude, to complete its work. The team would actively innovate, continuously improve itself, strictly adhere to the ethical and professional standards of auditing, and diligently fulfil its auditing supervisory tasks. Furthermore, it would reference past experiences in managing and optimising departmental operations, in order to continue enhancing the implementation of transparent, efficient systems for managing public resources.

Mr Leong Man Cheong stated that he would live up to his mission, strive together with his team, have the courage to shoulder responsibilities, and resolutely fulfil statutory duties. In the future, he would: collaborate with various departments to break barriers, collectively realising a multidimensional, new social governance system; continue to address effectively risks and challenges; firmly implement the holistic concept of national security; and uphold the principles of safeguarding the country's security, sovereignty, and development interests. He hoped these efforts would provide a solid foundation for the appropriate diversification of Macao’s economy, and its better integration into overall national development.

Mr Adriano Marques Ho expressed the view that customs work was facing fresh challenges. These included: safeguarding national security; preventing terrorist activities; combatting smuggling; enhancing port-clearance capabilities; assisting Macao in better integrating into overall national development; and promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In the future, he would spare no effort to fulfil the duties entrusted to him by law, and continue to make work-related reforms, based on the foundation of past work by the customs team, as well as upholding the important responsibilities of customs, exploring new horizons, and serving citizens effectively.