Off the record | Secretary Chan wants open communication

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, met yesterday with representatives of mainstream English, Chinese and Portuguese media outlets to “strengthen communication and understanding between the Government and the press,” a note of Ms Chan’s office said.
The meeting was held to promote “government action transparency” while also “to hear the ideas and suggestions of the heads of media organizations” in recognition of the need for “constant optimization of services in the areas of administration and justice in order to better plan for the future.”
Secretary Chan considered that any policy or measure implemented by the government has “to seek the citizens’ understanding and support.” Therefore, as an intermediary between the parties, the media plays “an important role in gaining the understanding and the support of all society in order to create a brighter future,” stated Ms Chan’s office.
Ms Chan stressed that the government is committed to setting up a healthy and efficient framework for disseminating news.
Secretary Chan thanked the media representatives for their opinions and suggestions, which she deemed to be “very constructive.”
More than 30 officials and representatives from media outlets, including from MDT, were present at the meetings, which were also attended by the Chief of the Office for Administration and Justice, Ms Yvonne Iao Man Leng, along with other members of Sonia Chan’s team. MDT