Agnes Lam (3rd from right) with fellow candidates
Civic Watch, led by university professor and social critic Agnes Lam, is again running for the Legislative Assembly election, aiming to secure a seat with their political platform.
Yet this time, in addition to calling for a better housing and transport system, the group is addressing other issues affecting the region’s most vulnerable groups.
Better public housing schemes, transport systems and medical care have each been highly discussed issues by several candidates in this year’s election, along with calls for concrete urban planning decisions and the optimization of education and culture.
However, Lam’s group is also calling for a revision of the disability pension scheme – so that subsidies will be calculated on an individual basis – and the addition of enhanced poverty alleviation measures. Civic Watch is also advocating for anti-discrimination legislation to be introduced, and for same-sex partners to be under the protective umbrella of domestic violence legislation.
Speaking to the Times, Lam said that the need to represent vulnerable groups is one of the reasons Civic Watch is running again, along with the need to protect the rights of non-residents in the city.
Listed as No. 4, Civic Watch is calling for a body to monitor whether domestic helpers are living in decent conditions.
“They are big enough to be seen, and we need to help them. When it comes to foreign laborers, no one takes care of them and they are here in the city, so their rights should be protected. I think we’re the only list that has this [goal],” explained Lam.
“That’s why we want a more diversified assembly so [lawmakers] can really represent different sectors of society,” Lam added.
Meanwhile, Civic Watch is also proposing the idea of “Macau People, Macau Space,” a principle similar to “Macau People, Macau Land.”
“Macau People, Macau Land” is an idea in which the government pledges to ensure that the region’s reclamation lands will be used for Macau people, specifically for permanent residents.
Regarding the several groups that are proposing that permanent residents should permanently acquire land, Lam suggested such a move would be problematic, as the Basic Law states that land only belongs to the region, connoting that a revision of the law would be required otherwise.
“[There] will be a lot of legal concepts that we need to deal with. What we propose is “Macau People, Macau Space,” said Lam, explaining that both residents and the government can own development projects, with the government developing their share for public facilities.
The candidate believed that such a scheme was practiced during the Portuguese administration in the territory.
With a few political platforms similar to other party lists, Lam is confident that Civic Watch is able to provide more solutions and suggest feasible legislative reforms.
The group’s list is composed of professionals from the education, medical and creative sectors.
“We have more professionals in our team. So then I think what we provide will be easier and [we provide] more doable solutions,” the candidate added.
The first candidate is also calling for the introduction of a youth housing scheme by combining personal saving and the Central Provident Fund, adding that there should be a 10-year target for public housing constructions, and a regular registration system for such housing.
Improving the standard of medical care is also one of the priorities of the group, which is urging the government to formalize guidelines for medical procedures.
The party list also calls for improvements to existing mixed education systems, along with ensuring that students with special education needs are provided for.
Civic Watch also suggested that the government review the subsidization scheme for teaching aid purchases, promoting inclusive education.
In regards to the employment sector, the group is also pushing to facilitate the social mobility of local residents, especially in larger enterprises.
“It’s not about the jobs now, it’s about their promotion and mobility. [The] unemployment rate is very low. Locals need to be promoted, and for the non-locals, their basic rights need to be protected and cannot be abused,” the candidate stressed.
With election day approaching, Lam added that the group has been able to appeal to different populations due to its diverse candidates this year.
Questioned what the group is aiming for in the AL, the candidate replied, “we have to have one seat.”
