The government announced yesterday that Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On has convened the first meeting of the newly-established Commission on the Defence of National Security of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), during which he called for improvements in the city’s legal system concerning the protection of national security.
According to a statement by the commission yesterday, the meeting was held last Friday at Government Headquarters.
The statement noted that the commission started operating last Thursday when an administrative regulation (by-law) on the setting-up of the commission came into effect – 30 days after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO) on September 3.
The establishment of the commission was announced by Executive Council spokesman Leong Heng Teng in late August. The council is the local government’s top advisory body.
Leong said at that time that the commission will be tasked with formulating local policies on the safeguarding of national security and coordinating tasks concerning local legislation on the protection of national security.
Leong stressed at that time that the new commission is not an entity for the enforcement of Macau’s local national security law – the Law on the Defence of National Security. He underlined that the commission will be tasked with assisting the chief executive in policymaking for matters concerning the protection of national security in Macau.
The commission consists of the chief executive, secretary for administration and justice, secretary for security, the commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Service (SPU), the chief-of-cabinet of the Chief Executive Office (GCE), the chief-of-cabinet of the Secretariat for Security (GSS), the director of the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), the director of the Judiciary Police (PJ), an advisor to the Chief Executive Office, and an advisor to the Secretariat for Security, according to the regulation. The commission is chaired by the chief executive, with the secretary for security as its vice-chairman.
According to the administrative regulation, the commission’s main tasks include coordinating the government’s various tasks concerning the safeguarding of the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests; studying and evaluating the situation in Macau concerning national security and the city’s social stability; formulating local policies on the safeguarding of national security; and coordinating the government’s tasks concerning legislation on the protection of national security.
Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On (centre) chairs the first meeting of the Commission on the Defence of National Security of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) at Government Headquarters last Friday, which was attended by the commission’s vice-chairman, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak (right, next to Chui), Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan (left, next to Chui), and other members of the commission. Photo: GCS
