The 41st edition of the Macau Walk for a Million, organised by the Charity Fund from the Readers of Macao Daily News, was held on Sunday. The event attracted about 50,000 participants, or about 7.3 percent of the population, and raised more than 17 million patacas, according to a statement from the organiser.
The Chinese-language Macao Daily News is the city’s top-selling newspaper.
Setting off near the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre on Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen at 10 a.m., the 4-km-long charity walk took participants through Praça do Lago Sai Van and Largo do Pagode da Barra outside A-Ma Temple.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which took place at the starting point just before 10 a.m., was officiated by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chairman Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Macau Liaison Office Deputy Director Huang Liuquan and Foreign Ministry Commissioner Liu Xianfa, among other honorary guests.
Commissioner Against Corruption Chan Tsz King, Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) President José Tavares, outgoing Public Prosecutor-General Ip Son Sang, and Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário spoke to reporters before and during the Macau Walk for a Million.
Chan confirmed that the Commissioner Against Corruption (CCAC) had received a complaint regarding last year’s cancellation of a project by the government of erecting a Kun Iam statue at Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park, after which it decided to investigate the case. He pointed out that the investigation has meanwhile been completed, the findings of which have been communicated to the relevant authorities. Chan stressed that no administrative illegalities concerning the project were unearthed during the investigation.
Kun Iam, also known as Guanyin, is a female deity associated with compassion and mercy in East Asian Buddhism. She is often referred to as the Goddess of Mercy and is highly revered in various cultures, particularly in China – including Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong – and Vietnam.
Regarding the high-profile case which erupted in September this year about low-quality replacements of street nameplates, Tavares noted that the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has meanwhile replaced all the affected nameplates, and that it has also imposed administrative penalties on the culprits.
Both Ip and Rosário were asked by reporters about their feelings regarding their forthcoming retirements. Ip, who will be replaced by Chan as Public Prosecutor-General on December 20, noted that the transfer of duties is proceeding “very well”. He said that after serving as a judicial official for many years, he will continue to be involved in judicial work in the future.
Rosário noted that the most unforgettable thing during his term was the “interaction” with the Legislative Assembly (AL) and the media, underlining that “because I was often scolded, whether it was justified or not, with many irrational and unreasonable insults, facing the Legislative Assembly and the media was the most difficult.”
Rosário added that the residents he encountered on the street either remained silent or showed him support. “So, what I heard on the streets was completely different to the Legislative Assembly and the newspapers. It was like two different worlds, one black and one white,” he said.
Outgoing Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário speaks to reporters before Sunday’s starting ceremony of the 41st Macau Walk for a Million organised by the Charity Fund from the Readers of Macao Daily News in Nape. – Photo: MPDG
Commissioner Against Corruption Chan Tsz King speaks to reporters before Sunday’s starting ceremony of the 41st Macau Walk for a Million organised by the Charity Fund from the Readers of Macao Daily News in Nape. – Photo: MPDG
