André Cheong dismissed as Secretary for Administration and Justice, appointed as lawmaker 

In a historic shakeup, the local government yesterday announced the unprecedented dismissal of Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong, effective October 16, while simultaneously appointing him as a member of the eighth Legislative Assembly.

The government announced significant leadership changes yesterday morning, as the State Council both appointed and removed several top officials.

André Cheong has been dismissed from his position as Secretary for Administration and Justice, and he will be succeeded by Wong Sio Chak, who was then serving as Secretary for Security.

In addition to these changes, the government revealed a list of seven newly appointed legislators, which includes Cheong, signaling his transition from his previous role to that of an appointed legislator.Cheong has served as Secretary for Administration and Justice for six years, having assumed the role in 2019. Following the government transition late last year, he was reappointed by the State Council on November 30 to continue in this position.
Effective October 16, Cheong will be relieved of his position as Secretary for Administration and Justice pursuant to the nomination and recommendation of Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, in accordance with the State Council’s decision.

Less than two minutes after this announcement, the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government released a list of seven appointed legislators, which includes Cheong, who also currently serves as a member of the Executive Council.

With this announcement, all 33 legislators for the eighth-term Legislative Assembly of the Macau SAR have been finalized.

Concurrently with the announcement of Cheong’s removal as Secretary for Administration and Justice, Wong Sio Chak, who has served as Secretary for Security since 2014 and was reappointed last year, was named as the new Secretary for Administration and Justice.

According to official records, Wong, born in Guangdong in 1968, holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Doctor of Laws from Peking University. He completed programs in Portuguese Law at the University of Coimbra and Macau Law at the University of Macau, as well as the inaugural program at the Legal and Judicial Training Centre.

Wong has served in the Judiciary Police, the courts, and the Public Prosecution Office. Since 2014, he has also served as a vice-chairman of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, while holding the position of Secretary for Security, serving in these roles for eight and 11 years, respectively.

According to the announcement, Wong’s position as Secretary for Security will be assumed by Chan Tsz King, who is currently the prosecutor general of the Public Prosecutions Office and was appointed to that role in December of last year.

Meanwhile, Ton Hio Fong, the former president of the Court of Second Instance, has been appointed as the new prosecutor general.

According to the list of government-appointed legislators released by the SAR government, six others are Lei Wun Kong, Kou Kam Fai, Chao Ka Chong, Lam Fat Iam, Wong Ka Lon, and Kou Ngon Seng. Notably, Lei served as the election agent for Sam Hou Fai during his campaign for Chief Executive, while Kou Kam Fai had previously served as an appointed legislator in the last Legislative Assembly.

All six appointed legislators, except André Cheong, participated in interviews with public broadcaster TDM yesterday.

They expressed gratitude for the Chief Executive’s trust and recognition, committing to deliver results in key areas such as youth development, talent cultivation, cultural advancement, technological innovation, and economic growth.

All 33 members of the eighth Legislative Assembly have been elected.

However, both incumbent president Kou Hou In and vice president Chui Sai Cheong, two veteran legislators, have chosen not to run for another term. The new lineup for the president and vice president positions has yet to be determined.