The amended version of the administrative regulation on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), which has added the new posts of a national security affairs adviser and three national security technical advisers appointed by the central government to the committee, takes effect today after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday.
In the amendments, according to yesterday’s gazette, the Macau government has added one article (Article 5-A) to Administrative Regulation No. 22/2018 on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR. According to Article 5-A, the central government has set up the posts of a national security affairs adviser and three national security technical advisers on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR.
According to Article 5-A, the national security affairs adviser is tasked with supervising, guiding, coordinating, and supporting the MSAR in safeguarding national security, while the three national security technical advisers are tasked with assisting the national security affairs adviser and advising on matters pertaining to the duties and functions of the office of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR.
Article 5-A states that the national security affairs adviser sits in on meetings of the committee, while the three national security technical advisers attend meetings of the office of the committee.
The Macau government set up its Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR in 2018, which is tasked with various duties and functions concerning the safeguarding of the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, such as formulating local policies on the safeguarding of national security and promoting work on improving the local legal system on safeguarding national security.
The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR is chaired by the chief executive, with the secretary for security as its vice-chairman. The office of the committee is headed by the secretary for security, with the director of the Judiciary Police (PJ) as its vice-director.
The local government’s amendments to its administrative regulation on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR came after the central government had decided to set up the posts of a national security affairs adviser and three national security technical advisers on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR. The central government made the decision in a reply dated November 30 to the chief executive of the MSAR, concerning a report he filed proposing that the central government set up the posts of national security affairs adviser and national security technical adviser on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR.
According to the central government’s reply, the post of the national security affairs adviser is taken by the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, while the posts of the three national security technical advisers are taken by other officials from the Liaison Office.
However, Article 5-A which has been added to Administrative Regulation No. 22/2018 on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR does not specify which kind of officials will be appointed by the central government for the posts of the national security affairs adviser and the three national security technical advisers.
MSAR statement
Meanwhile, a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday said that the local government has resolutely fulfilled the central government’s decision to set up the posts of a national security affairs adviser and three national security technical advisers on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the MSAR, by amending Administrative Regulation No. 22/2018, in order to “provide local legal grounds” for the national security advisers to fulfil their duties and responsibilities.
In the statement, the local government pledged that it will actively support the national security affairs adviser and the national security technical advisers in the fulfilment of their duties. The statement also pledged that the local government will carry out the constitutional duty to safeguard national security in close collaboration with the national security advisers.
In the statement, the local government reaffirmed that it will further improve its legal system on safeguarding national security and its mechanism on the respective law enforcements, and continue strengthening public awareness of national security. The local government will continue its work to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and to ensure that the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle with Macau characteristics will proceed steadily and go far.
This file photo taken earlier this year shows a pedestrian walking past Government Headquarters with the national flag raised. Photo: Tony Wong
