New Macau Association | Younger and older generations parting ways

“The New Macau Association was initially what we would call ‘a fan club’ for Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San”, Jason Chao

Macau’s pro-democracy group, the New Macau Association (ANM in the Portuguese acronym) used to be, according to its former president Jason Chao,  “a fan club for lawmakers Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong”.  But its current leadership is planning to operate the group “more like a political organization,” Chao and its current president Sulu Sou revealed in a press conference yesterday.
The separation between the younger and older generations seems to be embedded into the group’s history. Founded over 20 years ago by lawmakers Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong, ANM’s current youth-based
leadership has made it clear that they are parting ways on a number of issues.
“The New Macau Association was initially what we would call ‘a fan club’ for Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San. Since I took office as president, it has evolved to be a political organization,” said Jason Chao, who served as president between 2010 and 2014 and is now a member of the board. Sulu Sou was elected ANM’s president last year.
Looking ahead to the new year, ANM’s executive is planning on introducing a series of reforms, including a donation program as they believe the association can no longer rely merely on the donations of the two lawmakers.
Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong currently donate one fifth of their income equalling around MOP10,000 per person. However, Jason Chao and Sulu Sou believe this is no longer a sustainable way to run an association: “Elections are highly unpredictable and this is not a healthy way to sustain an association,” Chao explained, adding that the diversification of funding sources will allow for a more sustainable development.
While lawmakers are still providing one fifth of their salary to the association, Chao said that no one can tell for sure if “an official separation” will take place or not. He revealed that  Au Kam San failed to pay his contribution for about half a year.  However, after being sent a reminder “he issued a cheque to the association.”
Not wanting to rely solely on lawmakers’ financial contributions, the political activists said they are planning to implement two main funding initiatives: one seeking small donations from the public, and a second involving organizing a fundraising dinner. “The donation program will be better advertised and regulated. After the mass protest against the compensation bill we received a single anonymous donation of MOP40,000,” Chao mentioned. The association received an additional MOP10,000 accumulated from numerous different citizens.
He added that to their knowledge, the association has never received donations from overseas organizations but they do not discriminate against funding, either local or foreign. Nevertheless, Chao stressed that they will not proactively look for foreign donations. In addition, Sulu Sou made it clear that ANM will “never apply for any funding from the government.”

Association managed ‘like a political organization’

ANM leaders are looking to develop “a more institutionalized” association: “It should be managed more like a political organization and find ways to sustain itself,” Chao concluded.
ANM’s younger generation is seen as more “radical” than the association’s former leaders. The causes they now tend to privilege also differ in subject matter. The separation is becoming clearer, as ANM’s current leadership yesterday highlighted a few matters in which their views collide.
Former leaders and the current leadership disagreed on a proposed increase of membership fees. Jason Chao explained that Sulu Sou had tabled a motion suggesting to increase the current MOP200 fee per annum to MOP400. However, “Au Kam San left before the motion was voted on and we did not have enough members to hold a lawful assembly session,” he recalled.
Chao stressed that “legislators were against the raise because they said this would turn the association into an organization of elites or one which caters to a particular class.”
Current leaders deemed the legislators’ views as “nonsense.” “It’s a rational move to raise the membership fee because the medium income has raised two or three times over the past decade” and the membership fee hasn’t been updated over the past ten years. “From time to time we have to encounter this nonsense from the legislators,” Chao reiterated.
Asked what lawmakers Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong think of the announced measures to develop the association, Jason Chao replied that, “they made very few comments on what we are doing.”
When also requested to comment on whether ANM’s current leadership would like to distance themselves from the lawmakers, Chao stressed that, “we should combine their experience with our new ideas.”
He reiterated that, actually, the initial separation was triggered by the lawmakers. “The separation was motivated by them, not by anyone else from  New Macau. It was clearly their choice to distance themselves from the leadership at ANM.”
This year, the association’s leaders plan on holding forums, internships and training programs, as well as continuing to hold protests. They are also looking to launch a public consultation on legislation against sexual abuse.