Briefs | Meeting to debate Lai Chi Vun conservation

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will organize a meeting on Saturday about the revamp and preservation of the Lai Chi Vun shipyards area. Several heritage conservation experts will speak during Saturday’s meeting, which will be held at the Macau Musem of Art at 10 a.m. As recently as in the 1950s, coastal villages were thriving in Macau. Historical accounts indicate that at the time there were around 10,000 fishermen and over 30 shipyards in Macau, many of them in Lai Chi Vun.  Suffering from regional competition and the surge of the gaming industry in Macau, the industry collapsed in the 1990s.

Judge suspends taxi driver

A taxi driver who is being accused of locking passengers inside a car and overcharging has had his license suspended. The Public Prosecutions Office (MP) has questioned the suspect, and a judge has ordered that, in addition to the work suspension, he must present himself to authorities on a regular basis and pay bail. A statement issued yesterday by the MP noted that “several cases of taxi drivers suspect of abuse and overcharging have been recently discovered, hence the MP will establish the penal responsibility of the suspects.”

Viva Macau case: ‘We should wait calmly for the results’

Commenting on the case of the subsidies paid by the Macau government to the bankrupted airline Viva Macau, the Chief Executive (CE) noted that the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, has already forwarded his report to the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) to proceed with an investigation. “Now we need to wait for the investigation that will also produce a report that will be [made] public,” Chui said. “According to its status, the CCAC, if there is any illicit [activity] … will for sure forward it to the Public Prosecutions Office,” the CE said, not wanting to comment more on future possibilities and noting that the public should wait for the results of the investigation and final report of the CCAC.

MIMF tickets go on sale Sunday

Tickets for the 32nd Macau International Music Festival (MIMF) will be available for purchase through the Macau Ticketing Network, starting from 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 5. According to a statement from the organizer, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, queuing vouchers will be distributed from 9 a.m., “for the convenience of the public.” Telephone and online booking will be made available from 12 p.m. on the same day. Various types of discounts will be on offer for this edition of the MIMF, including an early bird discount (for those who acquire tickets before August 12), a 50 percent discount to holders of the Macau Senior Citizen Card or the Disability Assessment Registration Card, and several others for the owners of select bank cards. The MIMF is being held from September 28 until October 28, featuring 22 performances and 16 programs.

Gov’t confirms visa-on-arrival to Myanmar

The Identification Services Bureau has been notified by the Consulate General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Hong Kong that holders of the Macau SAR Passport can apply for visas on arrival in Myanmar for the purpose of tourism.  Eligible persons can apply for visa-on-arrival at Yangon International Airport, Mandalay International Airport, and Nay Pyi Taw International Airport for a maximum stay of 30 days.  The measure will take effect on October 1. At present, a total of 138 countries or territories have agreed to grant visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to the Macau SAR Passport holders. The visa relaxation was reported last week by the Times, citing Myanmar media. The country will also start granting visa-free entry to citizens of Japan and South Korea.

UM professor made criminology society chairman

Professor Liu Jianhong from the Department of Sociology at the University of Macau (UM) was elected chairman of the General Assembly of the Asian Criminological Society (ACS) during the organization’s tenth annual conference held in Penang, Malaysia. Liu will serve a three-year term from 2018 to 2021.  According to a statement from the UM, the professor has made “significant contributions to the promotion of Asian criminology in academia.” The ACS is one of the world’s most influential academic organizations in the field of criminology. It aims to promote the study of criminology and criminal justice across Asia and to enhance collaboration in the fields of criminology and criminal justice among scholars and practitioners. The ACS has held annual meetings in 10 countries and regions, including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. In addition to his new post, Liu is currently the president of the Scientific Commission of the International Society for Criminology and editor-in-chief of the Asian Journal of Criminology.