The State Council yesterday appointed the nine principal officials and the chief prosecutor of the incoming government of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) which will take office on December 20 – the 20th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, with only four of the 10 officer-bearers reappointed, among them two policy secretaries.
Observers described the appointments as a “big change”.
The central government made the appointments of the 10 top officials based on their nominations by Chief Executive-designate Ho Iat Seng.
Only four of the 10 officials were reappointed: Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário, Commissioner of Audit Ho Veng On, and Public Prosecutor-General Ip Son Sang.
Xinhua released a dispatch about the central government’s appointments of the 10 officials last night, shortly after which the local government issued a statement about the appointments via the Government Information Bureau (GCS), which later last night also published a separate statement on the CVs of the 10 officials.
1 female
The new team comprises nine males and one female – the secretary for social affairs and culture.
In the fifth-term MSAR government, Commissioner Against Corruption (CCAC) André Cheong Weng Chon, 53, will replace Sónia Chan Hoi San as secretary for administration and justice.
Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) Vice President Lei Wai Nong, 50, will replace Lionel Leong Vai Tac as secretary for economy and finance.
Wong Sio Chak, 51, was reappointed as secretary for security in Ho Iat Seng’s government.
Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Director Ao Ieong U, 51, will replace Alexis Tam Chon Weng as secretary for social affairs and culture.
Raimundo do Rosário, 63, was reappointed as secretary for transport and public works in the new government.
Assistant Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecution Office (MP) Chan Tsz King, 49, will replace André Cheong Weng Chon as the commissioner against corruption.
Ho Veng On, 57, was reappointed as the commissioner of audit in the upcoming government.
Public Security Police (PSP) Commissioner Leong Man Cheong, 55, will replace Ma Io Kun as commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Service (SPU).
Macau Customs Service Deputy Director Vong Man Chong, 53, will replace Alex Vong Iao Lek as director-general of the Macau Customs Service.
Ip Son Sang, 55, was reappointed as prosecutor-general of the Public Prosecution Office (MP) in the new government.
3rd CE is 5th-term CE
Ho Iat Seng, 62, will become Macau’s third chief executive on December 20, succeeding Fernando Chui Sai On who a decade ago succeeded Edmund Ho Hau Wah. Edmund Ho became the first chief executive on December 20, 1999 when the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) was established. As Edmund Ho and Chui each served two consecutive five-year terms, the maximum allowed by the Macau Basic Law, Ho Iat Seng will be Macau’s fifth-term chief executive. The Chinese characters of the surnames of Edmund Ho and Ho Iat Seng are different.
André Cheong – new administration & justice secretary
Cheong, born in Beijing, was the director of the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) until he was appointed as the head of the anti-graft body for the current government, which started on December 20, 2014. Cheong, who headed the Real Estate Registry before the MSAR establishment, holds a bachelor’s degree in Portuguese Language Studies from Beijing Foreign Studies University and a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from the University of Macau (UM).
Lei Wai Nong – new economy & finance secretary
Lei, born in Fujian province, joined Macau’s public administration in 1992 when he started to work in the predecessor of the Printing Bureau (IO), which he started to head in January 2009 before he became a vice-president of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) – the predecessor of the current Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) – in December that year. His vice-president position was terminated in July 2014 but he was reappointed in the same position in January 2016. The Municipal Affairs Bureau, which has two vice-presidents, replaced its predecessor on January 1 this year. Lei holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Macau.
Wong Sio Chak – reappointed security secretary
Wong, born in Guangdong province, began working as a senior staff member in the Judiciary Police (PJ) in 1994 and became a prosecutor in 1997. He became a deputy PJ director in 1998. Wong became an assistant prosecutor-general in March 2000. He was appointed as the director of the Judiciary Police in November 2000 while holding the rank of an assistant prosecutor-general, before he was appointed as the secretary for security for the current government. Wong holds a doctoral degree in Legal Studies from Peking University.
Ao Ieong U – new social affairs & culture secretary
Ao Ieong, born in Guangdong province, joined Macau’s public administration in 1994 when she started to work in the Judiciary Police (PJ) before starting to work for the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) in 2000. She became a deputy DSI director in 2010 before being appointed as the director in December 2014. Ao Ieong, the only female in the new government team, holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, a master’s degree in Software Engineering from the University of Macau and a master’s degree in Comparative Legal Studies from Huaqiao University in Fujian province.
Raimundo do Rosário – reappointed transport & public works
Rosário, born in Macau, a civil engineer by profession, joined the public administration in 1979 when he started to work in the predecessor of the Lands, Public Works and Transport (DSSOPT). He became the head of the bureau before leaving the government in 1990. Rosário became Macau’s representative in Lisbon when the MSAR was established on December 20, 1999, before returning to Macau and becoming the secretary for transport and public works for the current government. He was also Macau’s representative in Brussels and in the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Chan Tsz King – new anti-graft commissioner
Chan, born in Hong Kong, finished high school in Macau in 1987. He became a prosecutor in 1997, before being appointed as an assistant prosecutor-general in 2000. Chan holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from Portugal’s Autonomous University of Lisbon.
Ho Veng On – reappointed audit commissioner
Ho, born in Macau, was the chief-of-cabinet of the Chief Executive Office (GCE) between 1999 and 2009 under Edmund Ho’s administration, before being appointed as the commissioner of audit. He was reappointed.
Leong Man Cheong – new Unitary Police Service head
Leong, born in Macau, joined the Public Security Police (PSP) in 1988. He started to head the PSP Operations Department in 2013 before becoming an assistant to the commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Service (SPU) in January 2014. Leong became head the Public Security Police (PSP) on December 20, 2014, succeeding Ma Io Kun who became the commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Service (SPU) at that time. Ma will reportedly retire.
Vong Man Chong – new customs chief
Vong, born in Macau, joined the Maritime and Excise Police (PMF) in 1989, before being transferred to the Macau Customs Service in 2001 when it was established.
Ip Son Sang – reappointed chief prosecutor
Ip became a prosecutor in 1998, before becoming a judge of the Court of First Instance (TJB) when the MSAR was established. He was appointed as the chief prosecutor for the current government, which started on December 20, 2014. He was reappointed.
Congratulations
Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On issued a statement last night to congratulate the 10 officials on their appointments. They are slated to be sworn in on December 20.
President Xi Jinping is widely expected to preside over the swearing-in ceremony.
Macau’s future chief executive will present his new team and Macau’s reappointed chief public prosecutor in a press conference at Government Headquarters this morning.
According to Section 4 of Chapter IV of the Macau Basic Law, the MSAR’s prosecutors are members of the Judiciary.
Meanwhile, the Macau Government Information Bureau announced in a separate statement late last night that Hoi Lai Fong, who has been a deputy CCAC commissioner since December 2014, has been chosen as the new chief-of-cabinet of the Chief Executive Office (GCE) for the new government, replacing O Lam. Hoi currently heads the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the anti-graft body, which has two deputy commissioners.
