Anti-smoking bill delayed over discord: lawmaker

The legislature’s 2nd Standing Committee has delayed the submission to the government of its members’ proposed changes to an anti-smoking bill because of disagreements over the representation of lawmakers’ opinions to be contained in a memorandum on the issue. The committee, headed by lawmaker-cum-restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo, is reviewing the government-initiated amendment bill article-by-article. The bill will later undergo a final article-by-article vote in its second reading

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Lawmakers raise concerns over private notaries

Lawmakers yesterday raised concerns over the supervision of the city’s private notaries if more lawyers will be able to acquire a private notary licence after a government-initiated bill regulating the profession becomes law, the legislature’s 1st Standing Committee President Kwan Tsui Hang said yesterday. Kwan made the remarks after a meeting of the committee to discuss the bill with government officials at the Legislative Assembly. The legislature last month passed the outline

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Election bill to be submitted to legislature before summer break: Chan

Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said yesterday the government will submit its election amendment bill to the legislature before the summer recess starting in mid-August. The bill must be passed by the Legislative Assembly to become law. The policy secretary also said that under the current election system, the legislature’s direct and indirect elections in 2013 went smoothly, adding she saw “no urgent need” to change the indirect election

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

St Augustine’s Church roof repairs to cost 1 million patacas: official

The three-month restoration of the partially collapsed roof of an outbuilding of St Augustine’s Church will cost about one million patacas, Leong Wai Man, who heads the Cultural Heritage Department of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), said yesterday.Several senior IC officials, including Leong, spoke to reporters during the bureau’s “Cultural Gathering” with the media at Dom Pedro V Theatre, which is opposite the UNESCO World Heritage-listed church.Asked by reporters who will pay the

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Guangdong says nuclear plant is safe: govt

The local government said in a statement last night its Guangdong counterpart had given assurances that the under-construction nuclear plant in Taishan city will be safe.The statement was published by the Office of the Government’s Spokesperson.Earlier this year, Hong Kong’s news media drew attention to alleged safety concerns over the nuclear plant in the city located 130 kilometres from Hong Kong, as it was claimed that despite concerns over design flaws in the reactors selected for the

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Police nab mainland drug dealer

The Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday announced the arrests of three men for taking drugs and another man for selling the drugs.A PJ spokesperson revealed details of the case during a regular press briefing. All of the suspects are from the mainland, Ho saidAccording to the spokesperson, a member of staff of a hotel in Taipa reported to the Judiciary Police on Monday afternoon that a quantity of drugs had been found in a room of the hotel. The room was occupied by a 33-year-old businessman

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Photos aim to inspire introspection on city life

Local photographer Lou Kam Ieng hopes to inspire visitors to his exhibition to rethink their urban lifestyle.The exhibition, organised by the Macau Foundation (FM), titled “Free Will” is being held at the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden gallery until Friday. It features numerous photos of Tibet.According to a statement from the organiser, Lou, who heads the Macau Multi Media Photographic Association, has always been in love with Yunnan and Tibet.Please read the full article in our print edition.

June 15, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Non-mandatory provident fund based on economic situation: FSS chief

Social Security Fund (FSS) President Iong Kong Io said yesterday that due to the current economic situation the government had decided that the city’s central provident fund will – at least initially – be non-mandatory. Iong made the remarks during a press conference at the FSS headquarters in Nape. The press conference was organised to brief reporters on details of the government-drafted bill on the city’s long-planned non-mandatory central provident fund system. Social

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Activists slam govt for ‘hasty’ election law changes

New Macau Association (NMA) activists yesterday slammed the government for its “hasty” drafting of changes to the Legislative Assembly Election Law.NMA President Scott Chiang Meng Hin and Vice President Jason Chao Teng Hei held a press conference at the group’s office in the city centre to announce their position on the government-drafted amendment bill.The government completed a month-long public consultation on the bill on June 5. According to the draft of a consultation document

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

2 lawmakers call for Macau Foundation funding cuts

Grassroots legislators Antonio Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San yesterday said that 1.6 percent of Macau’s gross casino revenues, except those from casino operator SJM, should be channelled to the Social Security Fund (FSS) instead of the Macau Foundation (FM) as they currently are. The duo made their joint appeal during a press conference at their office in Iao Hon district. Au said the foundation, which has a budget of around 2.9 billion patacas for this year, had “much more money than

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Govt wants residents to take up wushu: Tam

Secretary for Social and Affairs Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng said yesterday the government wants residents to take up wushu for a healthy body and sound mind, according a statement released by Tam’s office.Wushu (“martial arts”) is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts.The statement said that Tam had two separate meetings with representatives from two locals groups – the Macau Artists Society and Ou Kong Si San Kit Yee Tong Sports

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Tanzanian phone thief caught harbouring compatriot: police

A 31-year-old Tanzanian man involved in a number of phone-stealing cases was also found to be harbouring an overstaying compatriot, a Public Security Police (PSP) spokesperson said yesterday.Speaking during a regular press briefing, the spokesperson said the police had received a number of cases since May in which the victims reported that their phones had been stolen while they were shopping.The police identified the suspect in one of the crime scenes’ CCTV footage, and they were also able

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Lawmaker calls for new regulations on medical beauty treatments

Lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng, a nurse by profession, has urged the government to strengthen its supervision of medical beauty treatments by updating the necessary regulations.Wong makes the suggestion in a written interpellation submitted to the Legislative Assembly yesterday. A copy of the interpellation was sent to the media.The lawmaker says in her interpellation that regulations on medical beauty treatments have been in place for more than 20 years while new technologies for such treatments have

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0

Lawmaker calls for 12,000 pataca cash handout

The government should increase its annual cash handout to 12,000 patacas for permanent residents and 6,000 patacas for non-permanent residents next year, legislator Jose Pereira Coutinho, who heads the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), said yesterday after a meeting with Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On at Government Headquarters. According to the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday, residents will receive their annual “wealth-sharing” handout starting on July 4. The handout

June 14, 2016 | BY admin

Comment: 0