The legislature yesterday passed two debate motions, one jointly proposed by directly-elected lawmakers-cum-civic leaders Becky Song Pek Kei and Si Ka Lon, while the other was proposed by directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Leong Sun Iok.
However, the legislature rejected two debate motion separately proposed by directly-elected lawmakers Au Kam San and Mak Soi Kun, and it also turned down a hearing motion jointly proposed by Au and directly-elected lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong.
The legislature rarely holds hearings.
The passage of a debate motion means that the legislature will request government officials to attend a plenary session for a formal and public debate between the officials and lawmakers.
In their motion, Song and Si questioned whether a city-wide health insurance system should be established in Macau. They said that many places around the world have a health insurance system for all residents. They noted that the government spent 1.23 billion patacas on public health services in 1999 and that the expenditure is budgeted to amount to 7.2 billion patacas this year.
In his debate motion, Leong questioned whether a mutual driving-licence recognition scheme between Macau and the mainland should be implemented.
The Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced in October that the local government was planning a mutual driving-licence recognition deal with the mainland authorities.
According to the bureau, the deal would allow Macau driving licence holders to drive on the mainland – and vice versa. The planned mutual driving-licence recognition would only be applicable to cars, excluding other vehicles such as commercial vehicles and motorcycles, according to the bureau.
Leong questioned whether the planned mutual driving-licence recognition would increase the burden on Macau’s road networks.
In his debate motion, Au asked how a non-political municipal organisation should be established in Macau in line with the Macau Basic Law.
The government launched a one-month public consultation in October on the establishment of a non-political municipal organisation in Macau. The government aims to establish the municipal organisation consisting of an administrative committee and a consultative committee in early 2019.
Au said that a debate motion was needed to ensure that the government would establish the municipal organisation in a proper manner in the future.
Several lawmakers who rejected Au’s motion expressed their views in the plenary session. They said that a debate on Au’s motion was unnecessary as the government had already made it clear during the public consultation period, which ended on November 23, how the municipal organisation should be established.
In his debate motion, Mak asked whether the government should increase public servants’ awareness of “loving the country and loving Macau”, so as to increase their “sense of mission” of providing residents with services.
Mak took the example of the former director of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG), Fong Soi Kun. Mak said that the fiasco of Super Typhoon Hato showed that some officials and public servants in the city lack “a sense of mission” and lack the awareness of “loving the country and Macau”.
Several lawmakers who rejected Mak’s motion said that there was no need to debate Mak’s proposal because raising awareness of the “loving the country and loving Macau” was a consensus in Macau.
Au and Ng’s joint hearing motion was about making clear which senior government officials should be held accountable for the Hato disaster.
Several lawmakers who rejected the duo’s motion said that an investigative report released by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) in October already makes it clear which officials should be held accountable for the fiasco.
Legislative Assembly (AL) President Ho Iat Seng (right) presides over yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. Photo: Tony Wong
