New Macau reflects on raising civic awareness

The New Macau Association held its regular social affairs forum during the weekend, where participants discussed how local society, in terms of civic awareness, has changed since a massive protest broke out against planned legislation on compensation for outgoing top officials last May.
The association’s leader Jason Chao believes that local residents have been paying more attention to the city’s legislative works ever since. He further stressed “true universal suffrage” is necessary to solve the root causes of Macau’s problems. “That is [what] we’ve realized: ultimately we need to demand a true universal suffrage,” he stressed, as quoted by TDM.
Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong added that citizens’ attitude toward political issues nowadays is significantly different from before the city’s handover.
Ng thinks the protest reflected on the awakening of local youths’ awareness of civil society. He stated Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are influencing each other, as civic movements of these places occur in a ripple effect.
“For one reason, the young people’s civic consciousness has started to rise; the other is the changing trend in HK, Macau and Taiwan’s movements. Prior to the protest against the compensation bill, the anti-national education movement in HK succeeded, followed by the success of Taiwan’s ‘Sunflower Movement,’ and then the preparation for civil disobedience in HK started. That was clearly a rising tide in the trend,” he explained.
On the other hand, educator Choi Chi U indicated local primary and middle schools have further tightened control over teachers’ autonomy and the cultivation of students’ independent thinking. He believes that is due to the schools receiving government funding.
“We have seen the frontline teachers being restrained within their autonomous space in class, [thanks to] the force of the schools’ systems; they are requested to follow the rules strictly. I’ve also found myself that teachers’ cultivating of [students’] independent thinking in the class is on the decline,” he said.
Furthermore, current affairs commentator Tam Chi Keung says he is not optimistic on the city’s outlook. He pointed out Macau is only harmonious on the surface and that there hasn’t been a trigger point for a major problem. BY