Sam Hou Fai was sworn in on Friday as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
In his inaugural address, Sam pledged to lead the new-term Macau SAR government to stand united with people from all walks of life and, with collective efforts, to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, maintain constitutional order in the MSAR as stipulated in China’s Constitution and the MSAR Basic Law, firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and faithfully implement the principle of “patriots administering Macau”.
Born in Zhongshan City, some 40 kilometers north of Macau, in 1962, Sam graduated from Peking University, majoring in Law. He moved to Macau in 1986 and joined the first group of Macau’s judicial auditors in 1995.
On December 20, 1999, the day MSAR was established, Sam was appointed president of the Court of Final Appeal (TUI).
After serving for almost 25 years as the head of the top court, Sam resigned in August this year before announcing his bid for the chief executive election.
On September 20, Macau’s Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election confirmed Sam as the accepted candidate for the election.
On September 28, Sam presented his political platform, which highlighted enhancing public governance capabilities, accelerating appropriate economic diversification, better integration into the national development, improving the educational system, and improving people’s livelihoods.
Sam was elected as the sixth-term chief executive designate of the MSAR on October 13, securing 394 votes from the 400-member election committee.
On October 25, the State Council in Beijing appointed Sam as the sixth-term chief executive of the MSAR.
On November 1, President Xi Jinping met with Sam in Beijing. Witnessed by Xi, Premier Li Qiang presented Sam with a decree of the State Council appointing the latter as Macau’s future chief executive. – Xinhua, MPD
President Xi Jinping (right), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), administers the oath of office to Sam Hou Fai, new chief executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai yesterday. – Xinhua
