Macau chief executive candidate Sam Hou Fai has vowed today to enhance Macau's national security legislation and its enforcement, as well as to consider the setting up public funds to stimulate the appropriate diversification of the special administrative region's economy, which continues to be dominated by the gaming industry.
Sam made the remarks during an about three-hour presentation and question-and-answer session about his election campaign manifesto at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex (Forum Macao Complex) in Nam Van. The event, which was broadcast live, was hosted by the government-appointed Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election and attended by almost all of the 400 members of the Chief Executive Election Committee.
Sam, the sole chief executive candidate, said that both Macau's national security legislative framework and implementation mechanism needed to be enhanced. He also emphasised Macau's commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty.
The former president of Macau's top court, the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) also said that he was considering the setting-up of public funds or enterprises to further propel the appropriate diversification of Macau's economy, particularly in the areas of the government's so-called "1+4" development strategy
According to previous government announcements, the "1+4" strategy aims to reinforce Macau's role (1) as an integrated tourism and leisure destination, officially known as the World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, while facilitating the development of four emerging industries: the "Big Health" industry; modern financial services; high-tech; and conventions, exhibitions, sports, and the commercial and trade industries. He also said that the government should assume a key role in intensifying the appropriate diversification of the economy. The quadrilingual jurist (Putonghua, Cantonese, Portuguese, English) also said underlined the importance for Macau's future development to attract highly qualified human resources, for the high-tech and Big Health sectors in particular.
Sam, who was born in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, some 40 kilometres north of Macau, in May 1962 and has lived and worked in Macau since the mid-1980s, also said he planned reform the city's civil service employment rules and to reduce the local economy's dependence on the gaming industry run by six rival concessionaires.
The candidate also stressed the importance of further promoting Macau's role as a business service platform between China and the world's nine Portuguese-speaking countries (Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste) within the context of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.
Sam also said that Macau needed to strengthen its leading role in further developing the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, which he described as a a priority project, such as by harmonising the two places' tax systems.
In an over hour-long press conference after presenting his election campaign manifesto and answering questions by a number of the election committee members, Sam reaffirmed his determination to reform Macau's Public Administration and Judiciary, in order to turn them more efficient and transparent, and to promote Macau's further integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as to promote Macau's non-gaming tourism such such as by highlighting its World Heritage and other cultural attractions, as well as by promoting community tourism.
Sam's candidacy has been formally endorsed by 386 electors, or 96.5 percent of the members of the Chief Executive Election Committee. The election by secret ballot will be held at the Forum Macao Complex on October 13. His election campaign, which began today, will end on October 11. By law, electioneeing is forbidden on the eve of the election. Besides, Macau's Legislative Assembly (AL) and chief executive elections must be held on a Sunday.
Sam is slated to be sworn in as Macau's head of government on December 20, coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR). He will succeed Ho Iat Seng, who has announced recently that he decided not to seek a second five-year term for health reasons. Sam will be the MSAR's fourth chief executive.
Caption: Macau's sole chief executive candidate adresses today's meeting with Chief Executive Election Committee members to present his election campaign manifesto and answer their questions at the Forum Macao Complex today. - Photo: MPDG
