Crematorium and ride-hailing in discussion at AL this week

The establishment of a crematorium and the legalization of ride-hailing services will be debated this week at the Legislative Assembly (AL).

Lawmaker Ron Lam, who submitted the topics to AL in early June, initiated both debate proposals.

The proposals will be presented to the plenary Wednesday.

Regarding ride-hailing services, Lam said “the taxi transport service has been unable to meet the demand over the years in Macau.”

“Therefore, the government must respond to the public need to create an online on-demand transport service through a platform where drivers and vehicles are subject to regulation.”

“This will respond to the real needs of residents and tourists and solve the longstanding difficulties with accessing public transport,” Lam said.

Lam cited Transport Bureau (DSAT) statistics, noting a 19% reduction in the number of taxis in service since the second quarter of 2021. This reduction contrasts with the increasing demand from locals and tourists. He said the current taxi service business model is inadequate and that Macau lags behind other countries and regions, including mainland China and Hong Kong, where ride-hailing services are widely available and commonly-used. Lam also referenced a 2016 statement to the media from

former Chief Executive (CE), Chui Sai On, who said that if there was public consensus on the necessity of ride-hailing services, the government should proceed with the necessary legal amendments. On the second topic, Lam said that in about 80% of recent deaths, over 2,000 residents had opted for cremation, more than double the number in 2007.

He said that in 2018, the government had planned to establish a permanent crematorium in Taipa, but the public had rejected the project due to a lack of detailed information and concerns about potential problems.Lam stressed the need for a crematorium to avoid the logistical difficulties and high costs of transporting bodies to neighboring cities like Hong Kong or Zhuhai.

He called on the government to reconsider the idea, evaluate suitable locations, and conduct a broad public consultation to ensure the population is well-informed about any proposed crematorium.Debates initiated by lawmakers on public interest issues are rare and often in conflict with establishment interests.

In the past, such proposals have been voted down, preventing discussions from taking place.

While lawmakers have the right to propose and amend laws and regulations to address matters of public interest, the understanding from larger factions aligned with government and established interests is that only proposals initiated by the government are acceptable to be addressed at the plenary.

Individual attempts to raise proposals to be addressed by the AL are typically voted down, citing

procedural illegality due to lack of prior authorization from the Chief Executive to raise the matter at the AL.

According to the Macau Basic Law, Article 75, “Members of the Legislative Council of the Macao Special Administrative Region may introduce bills in accordance with the provisions of this Law and legal procedures. Bills which do not relate to public expenditure or political structure or the operation of the government may be introduced individually or jointly by members of the Council. The written consent of the Chief Executive shall be required before bills relating to government policies are introduced.”