Social activist Carl Ching Lok Suen said yesterday his electoral group, New Ideals of Macau, No. 1 on the September 17 ballot, believed that without universal suffrage for the elections of the chief executive and all members of the legislature, all political platforms proposed by the city’s different electoral groups were just “empty promises”.
Ching heads the electoral group while Hong Hok Sam is the second-ranked candidate. Ching’s group comprises four candidates.
Speaking to The Macau Post Daily yesterday in Iao Hon Market Park, Ching, who unsuccessfully stood in the election four years ago, said his group’s political platform is short because he and his fellow candidates believe that as under the current political system the elections of the chief executive and all lawmakers are not by universal suffrage, it was “not practical” to have a long and detailed election programme.
Ching said his group was urging registered voters not to vote for lawmakers who supported the government’s ill-fated bill in 2014 on generous compensation packages – popularly known as “golden handshakes” – for the chief executive and other principal officials. He called these lawmakers “flatterers”.
Ching said he hoped that voters who voted for these “flatterers” four years ago could see their true colours and vote for his group this time. He also said he hoped the lawmakers who support universal suffrage and did not support the “golden handshakes” bill will succeed in their re-election bid.
According to its political platform, Ching’s group is proposing to protect locals’ employment and to limit the number of non-local workers in Macau.
If elected, Ching said he would urge the government to put more resources into nurturing young minds and urge local universities to open more diverse courses such as environmental protection and film making.
Ching ran with Workers’ Self-Help Union President Cheong Weng Fat in the last election. Cheong’s group garnered about 1,000 votes four years ago, which was well short of winning a seat in the legislature. Cheong is conspicuous by his absence from this year’s election campaign.
Ching told The Macau Post Daily that he holds both Hong Kong and Macau ID cards, adding that he works as a weight loss consultant and a security guard.
Direct legislative election candidate Carl Ching Lok Suen poses with his electoral group’s campaign flyers yesterday in Iao Hon Market Park. Photo: Debby Seng
