Hong Kong – CE inspects preparatory work of electoral staff for Chief Executive Election (with photos/video)
CE inspects preparatory work of electoral staff for Chief Executive Election (with photos/video)
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The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, and the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, inspected this morning (May 7) the final stage of preparatory work of the main polling station and central counting station for the Chief Executive Election at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, including the set-up of main polling station, epidemic prevention measures, security arrangements and counting procedures. She also gave encouragement to electoral staff participating in rehearsal sessions there.
Speaking to the electoral staff on-site, Mrs Lam said, “The 2022 Chief Executive Election was the third major election under the improved electoral system. It is vital that all electoral staff are well versed in their duties and procedures to ensure the smooth conduct of this election. I hope that every colleague will be fully committed to making this a historic election for Hong Kong.”
She said that the Central Government’s improvement to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s electoral system has provided a robust safeguard for fully implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. The Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections and the Legislative Council General Election were conducted last year on September 19 and December 19 respectively. The Government will, as in the past, spare no effort to ensure the 2022 Chief Executive Election will be conducted in a fair, open and honest manner efficiently and orderly.
She also appealed to members of the Election Committee to cast their votes in the 2022 Chief Executive Election tomorrow (May 8).
Acting SHA inspects anti-epidemic service bag distribution centre (with photos/video)
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CS inspects handover of Tsing Yi community isolation facility and other facilities constructed with Mainland support (with photos/video)
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EAC chairman inspects polling stations of Legislative Council General Election (with photos)
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S for S inspects Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre and Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (with photos)
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Hong Kong – Acting SHA inspects anti-epidemic service bag distribution centre (with photos/video)
Fighting the virus is Hong Kong’s most pressing mission. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will start distributing anti-epidemic service bags to all households in Hong Kong from April 2 with a view to effectively meeting the public’s anti-epidemic needs. The preparation is being implemented at full steam under the lead of the 18 District Officers. By mobilising civil servants and gathering support from different fronts, preparation work for packaging and distributing millions of anti-epidemic service bags will soon begin. The Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Jack Chan, today (March 29) inspected materials and the venue setup at a distribution centre for anti-epidemic service bags in Causeway Bay Community Centre to ensure the smooth commencement of relevant work.
Mr Chan said, “Being deeply concerned about the epidemic situation of Hong Kong and the well-being of the Hong Kong people, the Mainland has fully responded to the HKSAR Government’s requests for its assistance in fighting the epidemic. We are thankful for the Central Government’s co-ordination on the procurement, production and logistics of various anti-epidemic supplies. This has enabled the HKSAR Government to obtain the anti-epidemic supplies in a timely manner and ensure ample supplies for every Hong Kong citizen.”
Mr Chan said that due to the huge manpower required for packaging and distributing anti-epidemic service bags, the civil service team is providing active support. Colleagues from 13 bureaux and their family departments, as well as the Department of Justice, are participating in this task. The HKSAR Government has mobilised all possible manpower and volunteers to join hands with the civil service team to carry out the relevant work. Apart from packaging work, the Government will set up 130 distribution points in the 18 districts to carry out the ensuing distribution work.
To ensure a smooth packaging process for the anti-epidemic service bags, the Home Affairs Department has produced a demonstration video so that participating civil servants and volunteers can fully understand the division of labour, procedure and steps in packaging.
He said, “We have seen an overwhelming response from different sectors in organising volunteer teams. Over 17 000 volunteers have been recruited through the members of the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link, the Anti-Coronavirus Link of 18 districts, over 230 local organisations and non-government organisations, clansman organisations, charity groups, volunteer and uniformed groups, religious groups and ethnic minorities groups. They have provided more than 40 000 volunteer work days for packaging and some 27 000 volunteer work days for distributing bags.
“The work of distributing the anti-epidemic service bags fully demonstrates the spirit of concerted co-operation among the Government, all sectors of the community and the public in fighting the epidemic. We again express our gratitude to the country. We firmly believe that with the staunch support from our motherland, as long as Hong Kong citizens are united in one heart to fight the epidemic, Hong Kong will definitely win this battle.”
Hong Kong – CS inspects handover of Tsing Yi community isolation facility and other facilities constructed with Mainland support (with photos/video)
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr John Lee, this morning (March 1) visited the community isolation facility (CIF) in Tsing Yi constructed with the Mainland’s support, and attended a handover seminar with Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) Mr Chen Dong, as well as the Chairman and the Vice President of the contractor, China State Construction International Holdings Limited, Mr Yan Jianguo and Mr Hung Cheung-shew respectively, to firm up the detailed handover arrangements and get prepared for the handover of the facility from the contractor to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.
The facility will provide around 3 900 additional beds for emergency isolation, mainly for the admission of infected persons with no or mild symptoms. It accommodates actual isolation needs and provides common facilities such as bathrooms and toilets, the arrangement of which is similar to those at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and public hospitals, meeting the requirements of public health control. The HKSAR Government will commence operation of the facility after its handover.
After the meeting, Mr Lee visited the Tsing Yi CIF together with the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Miss Vivian Lau; the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Sonny Au; the Director of Architectural Services, Ms Winnie Ho; and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Tony Ko. They were briefed by relevant bureaux and departments on the preparatory work on the daily management of the facility, as well as the preparatory work and support for medical personnel who will provide services at the facility.
Mr Lee chatted to and showed support for the medical personnel from the Hospital Authority, and expressed gratitude for their services at the facility, which will soon be in operation. Mr Lee also encouraged members of the Security Bureau’s anti-epidemic task force and the Civil Aid Service to be dedicated in their duties in providing the necessary supplies and appropriate support to people accommodated in the facility, thereby playing a crucial role in controlling the epidemic.
Mr Lee then visited Lok Ma Chau and the former site of the Boxes in San Tin to inspect the construction progress of two other community isolation and treatment facilities being constructed with the Mainland’s support. He thanked colleagues in various departments and contractors for their close co-operation in providing a large number of additional CIFs for Hong Kong within a short period of time. He also requested relevant departments to strengthen communication and respond promptly to ensure the smooth operation of the facilities after they have come into operation.
Mr Lee said, “I am very grateful to the Central Government for its support measures and to the LOCPG for its all-out co-ordination for Hong Kong in the fight against the epidemic. The Tsing Yi CIF is the first facility completed in just seven days. It is an iconic project that embodies professionalism and selfless efforts, represents people’s kindness in helping one another, and symbolises the country’s powerfulness in calling for action. The HKSAR Government will make good use of the country’s support and rally the community’s efforts to win the battle against the virus and stabilise the epidemic as soon as possible, so as to ensure the safety and health of citizens and the overall stability of Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong – EAC chairman inspects polling stations of Legislative Council General Election (with photos)
The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
The 2021 Legislative Council General Election (LCGE) will be held tomorrow (December 19). The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, visited the Election Committee constituency (ECC) polling station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), and the polling station at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point today (December 18).
Mr Justice Fung visited the ECC polling station and inspected the final preparations for tomorrow’s polling arrangements by the staff this morning. He said, “As in the past electoral arrangement, eligible electors can cast all the votes which he/she is entitled to cast at the same polling station. The electors of the ECC will be allocated to the polling station at the HKCEC to cast all the votes which he/she is entitled to cast.”
After visiting the polling station at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point this afternoon, he said, “It is the first time to set up polling stations at boundary control points (BCPs) in the LCGE, enabling eligible electors who are now in the Mainland to return to Hong Kong to vote tomorrow (December 19). EAC would like to thank the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau for coordinating and making arrangements to set up polling stations at Heung Yuen Wai, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line control points, facilitating eligible geographical constituency and functional constituency electors who are now in the Mainland to return to Hong Kong to vote and be exempted from the quarantine requirements after fulfilling certain criteria.”
In order not to increase the risk of spreading disease, the polling stations will adopt closed-loop management. After polling hours, the polling stations will be turned into counting stations. Except for electors who have been assigned to the BCP polling stations, candidates or their agents and electoral staff, entry to or exit from the BCP polling stations will be prohibited and public observation of the counting process will not be arranged. However, candidates or their agents can apply to enter the polling stations to observe the counting process.
Mr Justice Fung said, “There will be no public observation of the counting process at the three BCP polling stations. An online live broadcast of the counting process at these three counting stations will be arranged by the Registration and Electoral Office (REO). Members of the public may watch it in real time via Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) TV 32 and the website of the Information Services Department (webcast.info.gov.hk).”
Besides, given the remote location and closed-loop management of the three polling stations at BCPs, upon consideration, the EAC has decided to allow these staff to vote at the polling stations at the relevant BCPs. In addition to the polling staff, other government officers on duty at the relevant BCPs, such as the staff of the Department of Health, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department, etc, can also vote at the relevant polling station.
Mr Justice Fung extended his thanks to colleagues of the REO and other relevant bureaux/departments for their efforts and called on registered electors to vote tomorrow.
He reminded, “In accordance with the law, only registered electors in the 2021 final registers of electors are eligible to vote in this LCGE. Electors who have yet to receive the poll card should confirm their registration status and check the polling station to which they are allocated via the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (OVIES) (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) or call the hotline of the REO (2891 1001). Electors are reminded that they may vote only at the polling station allocated to them; and the polling station allocated to them in this election may be different from those in the past. Thus, electors should carefully read the name and address of the polling station on the poll card.”
“We have produced a short video on the polling procedures and preventive measures for COVID-19 to be implemented in the polling stations. The video has been uploaded to the websites of the EAC (www.eac.hk), the REO (www.reo.gov.hk) and the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) for reference.”
Besides, EAC Members Mr Arthur Luk, SC, and Professor Daniel Shek inspected various polling stations today to see the electoral preparation work, such that the poll and vote count tomorrow would be carried out smoothly.
Meanwhile, Mr Justice Fung was interviewed by a radio programme this morning on the electoral arrangements including the Electronic Poll Register system and special queues, as well as calling on electors to vote tomorrow.
Hong Kong – S for S inspects Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre and Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (with photos)
The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, inspected the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC) and Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) today (October 28) to learn more about their facilities and operation.
Mr Tang, accompanied by the Director of Immigration, Mr Au Ka-wang, was briefed on the operation and management of the CIC by the centre’s personnel. Mr Tang then inspected various facilities in the CIC, including the dayrooms, dormitories, special units, exercise yard and sick bay. He also met and exchanged views with the centre’s personnel to know more about their work, as well as the difficulties and challenges they face under a heavy workload.
The CIC is one of the detention facilities of the Immigration Department (ImmD), and has a maximum capacity of 500 detainees. The detainees at the CIC are illegal immigrants, overstayers, or persons refused permission to land in Hong Kong. They are pending removal. Among them, some are non-refoulement claimants. Under the law and prevailing detention policy, the ImmD will consider all the facts and circumstances of any particular case, including whether the person concerned has committed a serious crime and whether there is any risk of the person absconding or reoffending. Regular and timely reviews of each case will also be conducted to determine whether an individual should be further detained.
Mr Tang then visited the ISITD to learn about its organisation, training programmes and facilities. He also inspected “National Education” and “Immigration Control and Passenger Clearance” classes to gain a deeper understanding of the training provided by the ImmD. Mr Tang said that national education is conducive to trainees’ understanding of national development and helps engender a sense of national identity, which nurtures them into law enforcement officers with a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective.
Mr Tang took the opportunity to express gratitude to ImmD personnel for upholding the values of “integrity and impartiality” by performing various duties even-handedly and serving the community with dedication and professionalism all along.
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