The aftermath of Covid-19 and the growing tension in Macau’s neighboring regions have shown the urgency and importance of protecting national security, said the Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak yesterday at the Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary session.
According to Wong, he will push for the establishment of an office for national security protection and pledged to continually guard national security.
To ensure civil protection security, this year, the office will focus on completing the legislation of civil protection law and will make amendments towards the provision of civil protection in the law related to the Unitary Police Service.
Wong said that he will also establish a Greater Bay Area police information platform so that the police authority can be quickly informed of important criminal cases happening in the area.
Within the year, the bill on the storage of hazardous items is expected to undergo public consultation.
In the second quarter, the customs authority will be able to carry out smart monitoring of all of Macau’s sea and coastal areas. The security sector will set up standards for information and data collection, storage, sharing, and maintenance. They intend to build a data sharing platform so that the security authority can investigate crimes related to non-local residents more efficiently. The Judiciary Police will also set up a mechanism allowing the bureau to obtain, test, and analyze cloud data.
Currently, two new ports are under construction between Macau and Zhuhai, including the new Hengqin port and Qingmao port next to the Border Gate. The security authority has already purchased 100 e-channel devices for the latter.
Meanwhile, speaking on correctional services, Wong hopes to introduce university courses for inmates, to expand the prison and to install more sensors and cameras inside the prison.
CCTV testing, Ká-Hó prison construction delay
Some works of the Secretariat for Security including the testing of the city’s CCTV surveillance cameras’ facial recognition functions and the construction of Ka Ho prison are facing delays as a consequence of the pandemic outbreak.
The official yesterday announced that the testing of the city’s CCTV surveillance cameras’ facial recognition functions has been postponed to the second quarter of this year.
Wong said the facial recognition functions were “absolutely legal.”
“We will maintain communications with the Office for Personal Data Protection (GPDP) to test the [facial recognition] functions but as the progress of the work is being hampered by the epidemic situation, [this work] will be postponed,” said Wong.
The official explained it is working with GPDP to “guarantee the legality of testing the use of facial recognition and vehicle identification techniques by viewing captured images.”
In addition, the security authority was unable to begin operating 800 CCTV in the first quarter due to Covid-19.
Since September 2016, the security authority has installed 1,620 cameras across town. Approximately 820 cameras are already in service. The Unitary Police Service has already examined the remaining 800 cameras and expects to start using them in July.
In 2022 and 2023, Wong plans to install another 500 cameras near schools and bus stops, and another 680 cameras near new ports and coastal areas.
Meanwhile, the construction of Ká-Hó prison, which is in its third phase, was originally expected to finish mid-2021. It is now said to continue until 2022.
The delay was also due to the pandemic outbreak.
The current prison establishment currently houses some 1,600 inmates, more than half of which are from mainland China.
Crime data sharing with Guangdong
Regarding the Greater Bay Area police information platform, Wong expressed that he has great hopes for sharing Macau’s crime data with Guangdong.
Despite being named after the Greater Bay Area, the platform is likely to exclude Hong Kong, the leading city of the Greater Bay Area. According to Wong, due to Hong Kong’s laws, it will be difficult for Hong Kong to join the platform, along with Macau and other cities in the Greater Bay Area.
The platform will mostly act as a communication channel between Macau and the Greater Bay Area cities.
Macau and the Greater Bay Area cities will be able to quickly report crime data using the platform. Currently, Macau can send encrypted emails to the mainland to provide police information with mainland police authority’s approval.
The security authority is currently building the platform and expects it to be completed within this year.
“The security sector needs to enhance cooperation with mainland China,” said Wong.
Entry ban amid ‘internal stability’
Wong asserted Macau’s refusal of entry on the grounds of protection of internal stability. Lawmaker Au Kam San raised concerns that border control police officers may abuse their powers by refusing people entry into Macau.
Previously, the local government had said that banning the entry of people, including social activists, Hong Kong lawmakers and other democracy supporters, was a decision purely and independently made by the individual police officers upon the assessment of each rejected individual.
Wong also claimed that Macau does not have a blacklist for entry, despite the fact that the banned individuals were notably people who advocated for democracy.
Yesterday, Wong continued with his usual speech, indicating that Macau would carry on with its entry ban practices to secure internal stability. The head of security even related the measures to tourism, saying that safety is a tourism city’s first priority.
Wong also said that those who are rejected can make an appeal. Macau has an appeal mechanism that allows them to appeal against the police authority’s decision, he said. He also questioned Au, asking how these police officers are abusing their powers. “You can always appeal,” said Wong.
2020 legislation agenda
The security authority expects to submit the amendment of the police force staff protocol to the AL this year.
The amendment began in March 2015. In the second half of 2019, the security authority delivered the amendment to the justice and administrative authority for analysis.
The amendment proposes a new promotion mechanism, including a “special promotion method” by which officers can be directly promoted to deputy inspector and other positions.
Wong’s sector also completed the amendment of the city’s immigration bill and expects to deliver it soon to the Executive Council for discussion.
Sulu Sou ‘forced’ to leave AL plenary meeting after appeal refused
Lawmaker Sulu Sou walked out of the Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary meeting when he was silenced after making an appeal against Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak’s speech.
During the plenary meeting, Sou asked about the welfare of the security force’s militarized officers. He also pointed out the high salary of high-ranking officials, including Wong.
However, the secretary replied saying that Sou’s speech was meant “for the sake of votes.” He accused Sou of asking the questions to gain the support of the public and get more votes in the lawmakers’ election.
After Wong’s accusations, Sou intended to appeal and asked Wong for a clarification on his “vote” comment in accordance with the AL procedures and rules. However, the chairman of the AL, Kou Hoi In, turned down Sou’s appeal, indicating that it was not in accordance with AL rules.
Sou then repeated that he was making an appeal in accordance with the AL’s rules. However, Kou continued to refuse Sou, even silencing his microphone.
“I want you to take back your words and apologize,” Sou said to the secretary. “To the AL chairman, […] I disagree with your speech. Hereby I am leaving this meeting to protest. You are looking after the high-ranking officials.”
After Sou left, the secretary commented on the episode. Wong said he felt “pity” for Sou’s appeal and claimed that he was not personally attacking Sou. Instead, he was only thinking of the welfare of members of the public. JZ
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