Raymond Tam appointed weather bureau chief

The director of the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA), Raymond Tam, was appointed as the new interim director of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG).

A notice of the appointment was published yesterday in the Official Gazette, stating that Tam will integrate his new role with the DSPA directorship.

Tam’s appointment follows a controversy involving the former SMG director, Fong Soi Kun, who resigned under heavy criticism over the bureau’s weather forecasting during Typhoon Hato.

Fong is currently being investigated by the Commission Against Corruption to determine if the prediction of typhoons by the SMG was influenced by vested interests.

Tam was also involved in a controversy back in 2013 when he was leading the Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau. He resigned after being accused of involvement in the scandal surrounding irregular grants of cemetery plots, but at trial was found not guilty. Shortly afterwards, Tam was appointed to the DSPA.

Commenting on the fact that Tam does not have an academic background in weather related issues, the chief executive Chui Sai On said yesterday that there will be technicians at the SMG to support him. Chui praised Tam’s managerial capabilities and said that his name was proposed as the new head of the DSPA by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário. PB