André Cheong’s transfer shows burden of dual roles, says scholar

Chan Kin Sun

The major reshuffle of Macau’s senior officials suggests that six-year Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong may have stepped down due to the pressures of his dual responsibilities, according to Chan Kin Sun, assistant professor at the University of Macau.

In an interview with the Times yesterday, the program coordinator of UM’s Master in Public Administration analyzed Cheong’s various concurrent roles, which include serving as Secretary for Administration and Justice, spokesperson for the Executive Council, and standing deputy director of the Management Committee of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Noting the current administration’s emphasis on Hengqin’s development, Chan speculated that this might reflect a routine internal work adjustment.

“There’s no need to emphasize specific work measures,” he stated. “I actually believe his workload is relatively heavy, so the reassignment of senior executive officials is a normal occurrence.”

During the interview, when asked about the lack of significant change over the years, where officials are often dismissed or reassigned to other key positions in less than a year, Chan expressed his disagreement with the term “dismissal.”

“I don’t quite agree with using that word,” he said, emphasizing that the recent personnel changes reflect the management pressures faced by the SAR government. He added, “The SAR government currently has too many affairs to manage, which necessitates a realignment of responsibilities.”

Chan continued, “In my observation, Hengqin has made significant progress over the past year, and the work of the Secretary for Administration and Justice has also advanced steadily. […] Given the professional demands of [Cheong’s] multiple concurrent positions, I believe he may need to implement operational adjustments.”

Regarding public speculation that Cheong’s transfer to the Legislative Assembly may position him to become its president, Chan noted that the future operation of the Legislative Assembly still requires careful observation, stating, “Such personnel changes are difficult to predict.”

“Specific developments will require further observation,” he added.

When asked whether the influx of government officials into the Legislative Assembly would impact its operations, Chan pointed out that past instances have shown Executive Council members transitioning into principal official roles and vice versa.

He suggested that the impact of this reverse transfer might not be as significant as anticipated. Instead, he argued that it could introduce “more rational voices into Legislative Assembly debates.”

“The Legislative Assembly is a vital political body. Having members with administrative experience may foster a more constructive atmosphere for parliamentary discussions,” the scholar concluded.