Jinan University donation | Gov’t reacts to ‘speculation and baseless accusations’

The New Macau Association has announced that they will be holding a demonstration on Sunday to protest the RMB100 million that the Macau Foundation has donated to Jinan University.
The association is claiming that Chui Sai On had a conflict of interest in the donation, since he is the president of the Council of Trustees of the Macau Foundation and also a Vice Chairman of the Jinan University Council.
The government reacted yesterday through its Spokesperson Office, noting that there has been “speculation and baseless accusations” regarding the donation.
A statement posted on the Government Information Bureau website refused the idea that there is a case of transfer of interest, noting that Chui Sai On was invited to join the board of directors of Jinan University as vice chairperson “without receiving salary or having interests in any form.”

The Macau Foundation claims that the donation is legal

The statement reiterates the initial reaction from the government, justifying the RMB100 million donation as a way to support the building of two new dormitory facilities for students from Macau and Hong Kong with the fact that many local students have studied at Jinan University over the years and later joined the public administration.
It also mentioned that since the establishment of the MSAR, “the city has achieved rapid development with the strong support from the Central Government.” Hence, “it is part of Macau’s responsibility to contribute to the country’s development and to enhance education services in the country.”
The statement also mentions that the “Office of the Government Spokesperson urges the public to consider the issue in a rational manner.”
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, also commented on the case yesterday, arguing that during the 1970s and 1980s, when Macau didn’t have higher education institutions, Jinan University, located in Guangzhou, “played a role in the formation of qualified Macau staff,” since it offered educations to overseas Chinese. PB