New lawmakers’ statute adds restrictions for upcoming hemicycle members

The Legislative Assembly (AL) unanimously approved the new law amending the lawmakers’ statute yesterday.

The bill, promoted by the government and sent to the AL to be discussed as a matter of urgency, includes not only the expected provisions of the new oath of office, following the amendments to the National Security Law, but also several other provisions that aim to enforce restrictions on the behavior of AL members.

Among them is a new rule that bans lawmakers from displaying banners or using any clothing items with written or graphic messages.

This new rule aims to remove all possibilities of lawmakers passing messages that can be interpreted as offensive to the honor of the AL and the Macau Special Administrative Region.

This rule applies to all materials, including posters, cards, flags, banners, or clothing items that could reasonably be interpreted as containing an offensive or provocative political message.

These restrictions on behavior are not confined to the walls of the parliament but also apply to lawmakers’ general behavior in public and on social media, among other settings.

According to the provisions, if a lawmaker is found violating these rules, they can face a suspension penalty of seven to thirty days.

This rule also includes a direct implication for the lawmaker’s salary, which will be reduced according to the number of days of suspension imposed.

The bill retains the previous provisions of the potential disqualification of a lawmaker if it is found that they have committed a crime or a serious violation of the statute of the lawmakers.

Due to the direct correlation between the two, the lawmakers’ statute was discussed in parallel with the new AL regime, which also approved specific rules to clarify the lawmakers’ impediment to revealing or publicly discussing matters discussed during closed-door meetings, namely at the AL Standing Committees.

In this particular case, only the committee’s presidents and secretaries are allowed to disclose some information about the matters discussed in the media briefings that follow the committee’s meetings.

In the short debate that followed the analysis of the article that contains this provision, the AL president Kou Hoi In noted that this rule is just a clarification and does not promote a change from the current one.

Still, he said that it is essential that lawmakers understand that closed-door meetings are confidential. It is hoped that all members, including government officials, can express their views and concerns freely and without censoring themselves due to fear of leaking such opinions to the public.

One of the other amendments relates to public health emergencies, such as the one occurring during the Covid-19 pandemic. A new rule allows meetings to be held remotely in similar situations.

Regarding lawmakers’ behavior, the lawmaker and president of the Macau Lawyers Association, Vong Hin Fai, expressed some concerns about the fact that a fellow lawmaker can raise this matter to the AL Committee of Rules and Mandates.

“Lawmakers pointing fingers at other lawmakers can generate a double problem, unlike in a criminal investigation, which is shielded by a legal confidentiality regime,” he said, noting that the fact that the matter was being addressed as a matter of urgency (without the detailed analysis of a Standing Committee) could cause a problem with the amendment of the bill.

The president of the Committee of Rules and Mandates, Ho Ion Sang, said the committee would improve the bill’s wording in the final draft to clarify the matter.

Former Sulu Sou at the AL wearing a t-shirt with Chinese characters that read: “People will not forget,” 2019

AL operating ‘full steam ahead’ to meet deadlines

After months or even years of little development on discussing some of the bills, the AL is now operating in “emergency mode,” having discussed and approved five bills yesterday.

In addition to the two bills related to the new statute of lawmakers and the AL regime, the amendments to the Budget Law for 2025, the new statute for civil servants, and the special remarks on the statute of the high-ranking official and heads of department were also passed in the final reading.

Regarding the budget bill, and considering the amendments previously announced by the government, the total revenue of the comprehensive budget was adjusted down from MOP121.09 billion to MOP116.53 billion.

At the same time, the expenditure increased from MOP113.38 billion to MOP116.24 billion. Consequently, the fiscal surplus was significantly reduced from the original MOP7.7 billion to just MOP290 million.

The AL now has four bills to discuss and vote on until the end of the term (August 15). These are the Road Traffic Law amendments, Public Procurement, Regime of Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices, and Public Investment Funds.

Lawmakers’ agenda

Cultural tourism: Zheng Anting urges the government to explore Macau’s cultural and heritage values further to boost tourism. During a spoken inquiry before the agenda, Zheng mentioned that Macau was designated as the Culture City of East Asia for 2025, which acknowledges its rich local cultural heritage and history. While this title can help promote Macau as a tourism destination, the lawmaker pointed out that the full potential of cultural tourism has not yet been realized. Zheng explains that this is due to the lack of a natural connection between world heritage sites, intangible cultural heritage items, and communities with unique characteristics, mostly isolated and disconnected from their context. The lawmakers want the government to explore better and link the different tangible and intangible elements to create a more comprehensive visitor experience.

CR7 Life Museum: José Pereira Coutinho used the recent opening of an exhibition in Hong Kong dedicated to the life of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to criticize what he called the lack of vision and proactivity of the local government. The lawmaker mentioned that the museum will boost Hong Kong’s tourism and strengthen connections to soccer, drawing fans and visitors from the mainland, including young athletes, which will positively impact the local economy. He also stated that the museum can inspire local young athletes and help promote soccer and sports by increasing community events. Many school programs could also be organized around the museum. Citing the many advantages and perceived benefits, Pereira Coutinho concluded that Hong Kong leaders are more pragmatic than local ones in attracting foreign investment, acting quickly and skillfully in approving initiatives that deliver rapid economic returns through policies focused on economic growth and tangible results.

International education hub: Song Pek Kei urges the government to see an opportunity in the challenges faced by the non-tertiary education system, which has seen a decline in student numbers due to the low birthrate. The lawmaker believes this issue can be viewed as an opportunity if the government transforms Macau into an international education hub focused on excellence, supporting schools to provide high-quality education with smaller class sizes and a focus on developing exceptional skills. Song also wants the government to utilize land resources to create a new campus that can support local students’ education and attract international students to study in Macau.