Briefs | Chan Iek Lap opposes open committee meetings

Indirectly elected lawmaker Chan Iek Lap said that it is unnecessary to provide live streaming of Legislative Assembly (AL) standing committee meetings. Chan shared his opinion while he was attending a TDM radio show yesterday. Chan claimed to have found out that a few lawmakers acted differently in committee meetings and AL plenary meetings, and that these same lawmakers were objective and cautious in committee meetings, but they showed different opinions during plenary meetings. Chan believes that rationality is more helpful to legal discussions. He also thinks that having the committee’s chairman explaining the meeting’s details to the media is sufficient.

New bureau framework expected in November

Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, hopes that the legal framework regarding the soon to be established Civil Protection and Emergency Coordination Bureau will be completed in November. Upon completion, the security force will apply to the Chief Executive in order to initiate the legal procedures necessary for the new bureau’s establishment. The budget regarding this last step has not been included in the next year’s budget of the security force. “About the budget, [we] try [our] best to do the most with the least money possible,” said Wong, adding that the government hopes to use the security force’s current employees in the future bureau.

Estate shows more signs of deterioration

The five-year-old affordable housing estate Edifício do Lago has  recorded ceiling cracks. These most recent cracks follow several other signs of disrepair, such as floor cracks, that have been reported in previous years, according to a report by Macao Daily News. This time, the cracks were seen last month on the parking lots’ ceilings. Residents now hope that the government can dispatch a professional inspection to the buildings in order to put an end to the residents’ doubts regarding safety issues stemming from the cracks. Edifício do Lago welcomed its first batch of residents in 2012, and, ever since then, issues concerning the building’s quality have been present; they have included falling wall tiles and floor cracks in the parking lots.