Labour rights activist Lee Sio Kuan said yesterday that his group, Ou Mun Kong I (“Macau Righteousness”), No. 17 on the ballot, was urging the government to implement an effective housing policy, proposed by his group, to help young people who are neither eligible to apply for public housing units nor can afford to buy their own flat in the private property market.
Speaking to The Macau Post Daily yesterday at the Workers’ Power Union’s office in Areia Preta, Lee, who heads the union, said his electoral group was proposing a housing policy in which the government would grant undeveloped plots of land to developers “with a conscience” to build private housing units for local first-time buyers.
Lee said he believed that the policy would prevent a further drastic increase in the prices of residential flats.
Lam said he used to work as an electrician before he started organising labour activities in 2008. “Nobody has employed me since I started to organise these activities,” Lee said.
Lee said it was the second time that he is running in the direct legislative election. Lee’s group comprises seven candidates.
Due to their conviction that there are many social problems in Macau that remain unsolved, Lee said his group decided to run again in the direct election to improve the city’s situation.
Lee said that most of the previous legislative term’s lawmakers had business backgrounds while the “democratic camp” lawmakers “did not perform well”, adding that none of the legislators had been able to help protect ordinary residents’ interests.
Lee said his group was worried about the large number of non-resident workers, adding that his group was strongly opposed to the idea of hiring non-local workers as dealers (croupiers) and commercial drivers.
According to current government regulations, imported workers are not allowed to be employed as casino dealers or commercial drivers.
According to Lam, his group is also proposing free tertiary education for Macau students studying in Macau and elsewhere, both at public and private universities. He said the government should treat all local students equally.
Moreover, Lee said his group hoped the government will ban registered voters aged above 65 from casting their vote since he thought they were easily “confused” by others and only “focus on the short-term”.
Labour rights activist Lee Sio Kuan yesterday holds a campaign flyer of his electoral group Ou Mun Kong I (“Macau Righteousness”), No. 17 on the ballot, at the Workers’ Power Union’s office in Areia Preta. Photo: Debby Seng
