Lawmakers find new gov’t less ‘approachable’

Lawmakers have found Sam Hou Fai’s new government much more distant and less willing to listen to society’s opinions.

José Pereira Coutinho told the media earlier this week, on the sidelines of the Legislative Assembly (AL) Spring Lunch, that since the new Chief Executive (CE) was elected, he has become distant from people and reluctant to meet them or hear their opinions.

More concerning, the lawmaker said that this “new approach” to governance seems to extend to the five secretaries, who have also been following this trend.

For Pereira Coutinho, it is evident that this government has distanced itself from the public and the media, communicating with the population almost exclusively via press statements.

“We are noticing a clear difference between the [campaign period], when it was easier to have access to the CE [candidate], and now, as the CE is becoming harder to reach. There is a distancing,” he said.

He also mentioned that even though he does not favor this style of governance, the most crucial part of the government’s work is the creation of policies and how they are implemented.

He hopes these policies align with the genuine needs of the population in addressing issues such as declining purchasing power, unemployment, and underemployment, especially among youth, recent university graduates, and those who lost their jobs during the pandemic and have struggled to recover since.

In an interview with the public broadcaster TDM, Ron Lam corroborated Pereira Coutinho’s opinion, disagreeing with Sam’s government’s “new methods” and communication style.

“I disagree with this practice of news disclosure. The government needs to communicate directly with the associations and the population. This is what shows an integrated society.”

Additionally, lawmaker Ella Lei expressed hope that the government would be more transparent with the public regarding official data and policies.

She noted that in addition to taking the initiative to release information, the government should allow the media and the public to learn more about different topics, particularly concerning policies.

“Promoting policies and gathering feedback on them are two distinct ways for the government to obtain public opinions,” she concluded.