Macau’s lawmakers yesterday elected the presidents and secretaries of the new term of the Legislative Assembly’s seven committees – the Committee on House Rules, 1st Standing Committee, 2nd Standing Committee, 3rd Standing Committee, Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs, Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs, and Follow-up Committee for Public Administration Affairs.
The legislature announced the results of the elections by secret ballot in a statement yesterday evening.
Indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-banker Alan Ho Ion Sang was elected president of the seven-member Committee on House Rules whose remit includes raising suggestions on amending the Legislative Assembly Procedure Rules. Ho is a vice-chairman of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (commonly known as Kai Fong).
Ho succeeds fellow indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-urban planner José Chui Sai Peng at the helm of the committee.
Directly-elected-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I was elected president of the 10-member 1st Standing Committee, succeeding Ho. Lei is a vice-president of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (commonly known as Gung Luen).
Indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo was re-elected president of the 10-member 2nd Standing Committee, while indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-lawyer Vong Hin Fai was re-elected president of the 11-member 3rd Standing Committee.
Chui was yesterday elected president of the Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs, which was chaired by Lei in the previous term (2017-2021).
Directly-elected lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng, a nurse by profession, was elected president of the Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs. Wong, a vice-president of the Macau Women’s General Association (commonly known as Fu Luen), succeeds building contractor Mak Soi Kun who has retired from the legislature.
Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-businessman Zheng Anting was elected president of the Follow-up Committee for Public Administration Affairs. Zheng, a vice-chairman of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society, succeeds civic leader Si Ka Lon, who was elected second secretary of the executive board – the legislature’s top management body – earlier this month.
The elections for the seven committees’ presidents and secretaries were carried out behind closed-doors after yesterday’s plenary session, the second one of the legislature’s new term (2021-2025).
The 33-member legislature comprises 14 directly-elected and 12 indirectly-elected members as well as seven members appointed by the chief executive. The composition of the legislature remains the same as in the previous term (2017-2021).
During the first’s plenary session on October 16 – when the new seventh term of the legislature started, businessmen Kou Hoi In and Chui Sai Cheong were re-elected the president and vice-president of the Legislative Assembly, while Ho and Si were elected first and second secretary of the legislature’s executive board.
Kou, a local deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), has headed the legislature since 2019 when he replaced Ho Iat Seng who was then running for the post of Macau’s chief executive.
Chui Sai Cheong is the elder brother of former chief executive Fernando Chui Sai On. José Chui is a cousin of both.
According to the Legislative Assembly Procedure Rules, the legislature’s four-member executive board headed by the president of the Legislative Assembly suggests the number of standing committees that the legislature should have, and what they should be called, when a new four-year legislative term starts.
The executive board, the legislature’s top management body, also suggests the number of members that each standing committee should have and who should join which committee, according to the Procedure Rules.
The number of members of each standing committee must range from seven to 11, according to the Procedure Rules.
The rules for standing committees are the same as those for the follow-up committees, according to the Procedure Rules.
During yesterday’s plenary session, lawmakers unanimously passed the executive board’s suggestion concerning the number of members of each standing and follow-up committee and the list of lawmakers on each committee.
A total of 31 lawmakers will sit on the committees. As is customary, the president and vice-president of the legislature do not sit on any of the committees.
As is customary, the members of the 1st Standing Committee are the same as the Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs; the members of the 2nd Standing Committee are the same as the Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs; the members of the 3rd Standing Committee are the same as the Follow-up Committee for Public Administration Affairs.
The number of standing committees and follow-up committees and their designations remain the same as in the previous term (2017-2021)
The legislature’s standing committees are tasked with reviewing bills after their outlines have been passed by a plenary session.
Meanwhile, indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-gaming executive Angela Leong On Kei was re-elected president of the legislature’s Administrative Committee, which is responsible for financial and administrative work for the operation of the legislature. She obtained 30 votes out of the 33 votes cast during yesterday’s plenum.
The Administrative Committee consists of a lawmaker elected by fellow legislators, the secretary-general of the legislature, and a staff member from any of the departments and offices in the legislature. The lawmaker chairs the committee.
Meanwhile, as is customary, a number of legislators made statements in the hemicycle before the order of the day of yesterday’s plenary session. They urged the government to strengthen its support measures for the community and businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also called for the gradual easing of the government’s COVID-19 control and prevention measures in order to help businesses recover from the economic downturn caused by the novel coronavirus threat.
Members of the new term of the Legislative Assembly (AL) attend yesterday’s plenary session in the hemicycle. Photo courtesy of TDM
