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The fifth-term Macao SAR Government principal officials
Staying true to his campaign motto of “Unity and Effort, Change and Innovation”, Mr Ho Iat Seng, the new Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), believes the city can do more to diversify its economy. Mr Ho took office as the fifth-term Chief Executive on 20 December and has called for “an expansion of integrated tourism” by boosting related industries.
Mr Ho won the Chief Executive election with 392 out of 400 valid votes on 25 August 2019 and was appointed to the post by China’s State Council on 11 September.
After his appointment, Mr Ho stressed he would faithfully execute the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and ensure that the “One country, two systems” principle is properly implemented in the city. He added that he is determined to implement the principles of “Macao people governing Macao” and a high degree of autonomy during his five-year term.
Mr Ho said he would pro-actively integrate Macao into national development strategies, pushing forward with the city’s participation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and in the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The tourism and gaming industries are the cornerstone of Macao’s economy. But as the casino licences expire in 2022, Mr Ho sees an opportunity to improve the sector’s performance and strengthen its legal supervision. In his comments after being confirmed as the new Chief Executive, Mr Ho emphasised that the amendment of Macao’s gaming law framework would be one of his key tasks now he was in office.
Mr Ho also said that he believed the city can further diversify its tourism attractions to appeal to more visitors. To accommodate the ongoing growth, he vowed to “continue optimising” the city’s border crossing infrastructure to make life easier for those coming to visit.
Supporting SMEs
According to Mr Ho, his first priority is to finish drafting Macao’s first ever urban masterplan, in order to ensure not only the optimum development of the city’s new reclaimed areas but also an orderly upgrade of existing infrastructure.
As part of an improvement to the public transportation network, Mr Ho added, the completion of the Macao peninsula route of the city’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) railway system is expected to allow visitors to travel more easily between the integrated resorts in Taipa and Coloane and the Gongbei border.
In addition to bringing in more tourists, the new Chief Executive also pledges to get local companies and entrepreneurs to expand their outbound businesses, starting with joining or creating projects on neighbouring Hengqin Island – an area earmarked to become an international leisure and tourism destination.
In terms of the city’s international development, Mr Ho reiterated his intention to strengthen Macao’s strategic roles as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and as a Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Mr Ho aims to make the most of the Macao-Portugal historical, cultural and linguistic ties to train more Chinese-Portuguese bilingual talents and contribute to the construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The new Chief Executive also said that more resources will be allocated to improving support for Macao’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly to help improve a chronic shortage of human resources. His agenda calls for incentives to motivate qualified residents who are currently studying or living abroad, to return to Macao for their career development, and bring with them their technologies and knowledge to help the city move ahead.
The Chief Executive stressed the need to promote locally made, quality products to preserve Macao’s traditional businesses while calling for bold investments to be made in emerging sectors such as the financial sector.
The team for the fifth-term Macao SAR Government comprises: Mr Cheong Weng Chon as the Secretary for Administration and Justice; Mr Lei Wai Nong as the Secretary for Economy and Finance; Mr Wong Sio Chak as the Secretary for Security; Ms Ao Ieong U as the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Mr Raimundo do Rosário as the Secretary for Transport and Public Works; Mr Chan Tsz King as the Commissioner Against Corruption; Mr Ho Veng On as the Commissioner of Audit; Mr Leong Man Cheong as the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service; Mr Vong Man Chong as the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service; and Mr Ip Son Sang as the Public Prosecutor-General.
The fifth-term Chief Executive, the Macao SAR Government principal officials and Public Prosecutor-General
Mr Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive
Mr Ho Iat Seng was born in Macao in June 1957 and his ancestral home is in Zhejiang.
In 2004, he was appointed as a member of the second-term Executive Council for the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, a member of the Economic Development Council and a member of the Science, Technology and Innovation Council.
He was an indirectly returned member and Vice-President of the fourth Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR between 2009 and 2013, having resigned from the position as a member of the Executive Council of the Macao SAR.
He was an indirectly returned member and President of the fifth Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR between 2014 and 2017.
Starting from 2018, he was an indirectly returned and President of the sixth Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR and on 5 July 2019, he resigned from the positions as an indirectly returned member and President.
Since 2000, Mr Ho had been the deputy to and member of the Standing Committee of the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th National People’s Congress (NPC). In April 2019, he tendered his resignation to the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, resigning as a deputy to the 13th NPC.
In 1999, Mr Ho was awarded the Industrial & Commercial Merit Medal by the Governor of Macao. In 2001, he was awarded the Industrial & Commercial Merit Medal by the Government of the Macao SAR. In 2009, he was awarded the Honourable Medal of Golden Lotus Flower by the Government of the Macao SAR.
On 25 August 2019, he was elected the fifth-term Chief Executive of the Macao SAR.
On 4 September 2019, Premier Li Keqiang chaired the 3rd Plenary Session of the State Council, appointing Mr Ho Iat Seng as the fifth Chief Executive of the Macao SAR. He was sworn into office on 20 December 2019.
Mr Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Administration and Justice
Mr Cheong Weng Chon, born in Beijing in 1966, received a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Beijing Foreign Studies University and from the University of Macau, respectively.
He was an assistant to the Registrar and the Notary Public, Registrar of the Real Estate Registry and Director of the Judicial Affairs Bureau. He served as Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau from November 2000 to December 2014. He held the post of Commissioner Against Corruption of the Commission Against Corruption from December 2014 to December 2019.
He was President of the Legal Aid Commission, member of the Public Administration Reform Consultation Committee and member of the Law Reform Consultative Committee.
Mr Lei Wai Nong, Secretary for Economy and Finance
Mr Lei Wai Nong was born in Fujian Province in 1969. He received a diploma in computer studies from the Macao Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Bachelor’s Degree in Law (Chinese Language) and Master’s Degree in Social Science from the University of Macau.
He started to serve as a civil servant in 1992. He once worked in the Division of Administration and Finance and the publishing and printing affairs divisions of the Printing Authority of the former Portuguese administration of Macao, holding the posts of information technician, assistant, head of Division and Administrator. Later, he served as Vice-President of the Administrative Committee of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau and Vice-President of the Administrative Committee of the Municipal Affairs Bureau until December 2019.
He was a non-permanent member of the Investment Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, President of the Macau Slaughter House Ltd. and member of the specialised group for studying community economic development policies of the Economic Development Council.
Mr Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Security
Mr Wong Sio Chak was born in Guangdong Province in China in 1968. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and a Doctorate in Law from Peking University.
Mr Wong was a senior technician at Macao’s Judiciary Police, judicial auditor of the Court and of the Public Prosecutions Office and a trainee magistrate. He assumed the post of a prosecutor at the Public Prosecutions Office of Macao starting from July 1997 and the post of Deputy Director of the Judiciary Police in November 1998. He was appointed as the Acting Director of the Judiciary Police in December 1999. In March 2000, he was appointed as Assistant Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office on a permanent basis. In November 2000, he was appointed as Director of the Judiciary Police.
Nominated by the Chief Executive, he was appointed by the Central People’s Government as the Secretary for Security of the fourth-term Government of the Macao SAR on 30 November 2014, and he was sworn in on 20 December of the same year.
Nominated by the Chief Executive, he was appointed by the Central People’s Government as the Secretary for Security of the fifth-term Government of the Macao SAR on 1 December 2019, and he was sworn in on 20 December of the same year.
Ms Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture
Ms Ao Ieong Iu, was born in Guangdong in 1968. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Application from the South China University of Technology in 1992. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Software Engineering from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Macau in 2001 and a Master’s Degree in Comparative Jurisprudence from the Faculty of Law of Huaqiao University of Fujian.
She was a senior technician at the Judiciary Police in 1994. She was appointed as head of the Division of Planning and Organisation of the Identification Services Bureau in 2001 and head of the Department of Residents Identification of the Bureau in 2002. She was appointed as head of the Department of Organisation and Information of the Bureau in 2007. She was appointed as Deputy Director of the Bureau in 2010. She held the post of Director of the Identification Services Bureau from 2014 to 2019.
She was President of the Monitoring Committee of the Pension Fund from 2015 to 2019. She was Vice-President of the Macao Female Civil Servant Association from 2016 to 2019.
Mr Raimundo Arrais do Rosário, Secretary for Transport and Public Works
Mr Raimundo Arrais do Rosário was born in Macao in 1956. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and completed a postgraduate programme in soil mechanics.
He joined the civil service in 1979, and worked for the former Portuguese administration of Macao until 1990, as a technician, department head, Deputy Secretary and Secretary of the Secretariat for Transport and Public Works. He was also the Chairman of the Land Committee and Traffic Committee, as well as a member of the Sports Committee and the assistant to the board of directors of the Macau International Airport Company Ltd. From 1990 to 1999, he was engaged in civil engineering on a freelance basis. From December 1999 to December 2014, Mr Raimundo do Rosário was the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the European Union in Brussels, and the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the World Trade Organization. Since December 2014, he has been the Secretary for Transport and Public Works of the Macao SAR.
Regarding social services, Mr Raimundo do Rosário was a member of the Drafting Committee of the Basic Law of Macao SAR, member of the Preparatory Committee of the MSAR, member of the Legislative Assembly, and member of the Portuguese delegation of the Sino-Portuguese Land Group. He was also the Chairman of the General Assembly of Civil Engineering Laboratory, member of the consultative committee on land funding, member of the consultative committee on cultural affairs, and member of the supervisory committee of BCM Bank (Banco Comercial de Macau, S.A.).
Mr Chan Tsz King, Commissioner Against Corruption
Mr Chan Tsz King was born in Hong Kong in 1970 and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law. He graduated from the first training course for training magistrates of Macao courts and the Public Prosecutions Office. He attended the first advanced course of the Magistrate Training Centre.
He was appointed as a prosecutor and Assistant Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office of Macao in July 1997 and in March 2000, respectively, and he was stationed in the Prosecutorial Office at the Court of Final Appeal and the Court of Second Instance.
Other duties and work include: teaching at the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau between 1998 and 2004; and participating in four magistrate training courses organized by Macao courts and Public Prosecutions Office after the handover of Macao to the People’s Republic of China. He was a member of the pedagogical council of the magistrate training course of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre between 2006 and 2008. He has been a member of the Prosecutors’ Committee since 2012 and he was appointed as a member of the Law Reform Council in 2015; he has been a member of the Asset Freezing Coordination Commission since 2017. In February 2019, he was appointed as a member of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the fifth Chief Executive Election.
Mr Ho Veng On, Commissioner of Audit
Mr Ho Veng On was born in Macao in 1962. He completed the Programme for Portuguese Language Teachers and the translation programme of the former Technical School of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, a Master’s Degree in International Relations and a Doctor’s Degree in Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics.
In June 1999, he was appointed by the former Portuguese administration of Macao to assist the then Chief Executive-elect with setting up the Chief Executive’s Office; and participated in the final transitional work.
In the first-term and second-term governments of the Macao SAR, Mr Ho was the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office and the Secretary-General of the Executive Council, and concurrently held the posts of leader of the Macao delegation of the Macao-Guangdong Cooperation Liaison Group, co-ordinator of the Committee of Nomination of Medals and Honorary Titles and the Government’s delegate at public broadcaster, TDM (Teledifusão de Macau, S.A.).
He has been the Commissioner of Audit in the third and fourth Government of the Macao SAR since 20 December 2009.
Mr Leong Man Cheong, Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service
Mr Leong Man Cheong was born in Macao in 1964. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Sciences from the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao and a Master’s Degree in Law from the Macau University of Science and Technology and completed the third command and leadership programme, organised by the same academy.
In 1988, Mr Leong joined the Public Security Police Force of Macao. He held the posts of team leader of the anti-riot squad of the Special Duties Unit of the Public Security Police Force of Macao, Commander of the auxiliary team of the Command Department and the Deputy Commander of the Special Duties Unit between 1995 and 2003. In 2003, he was appointed as head of the liaison office of the Intelligence Analysis Centre of the Unitary Police Service. He was appointed as Commander of the Special Duties Unit of the Public Security Police Force of Macao in 2005. He assumed the posts of head of the Operations Department of the Public Security Police Force of Macao in 2013 and of Assistant to the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service in January 2014. He was appointed as Commissioner of the Public Security Police Force of Macao in December 2014.
Mr Vong Man Chong, Director-General of the Macao Customs Service
Mr Vong Man Chong was born in Macao in 1966. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Sciences from the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao.
In 1989, he joined the marine police inspection team. He was promoted to Deputy Superintendent in 1995 and Chief Superintendent in 1999. During the period when he carried out his duties, he assumed the posts of head of Intelligence Division, head of Operation Division and head of Operation Management Department. Since the establishment of Macao Customs Service in 2001, he has assumed the posts of head of Intellectual Property Department, head of Border Post Customs Surveillance Department, Consultant of Macao Customs Service, Assistant Director-General and Deputy Director-General.
Mr Ip Son Sang, Public Prosecutor-General
Mr Ip Son Sang was born in 1964, of a family from Yangjiang, Guangdong Province. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and a Master’s Degree in International Law. From 1991 to 1993, he studied Portuguese language and Portuguese law at the University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Mr Ip worked in the office of the Secretary of Statistics and Census of Macao in 1994, and in the Labour and Employment Services Bureau of Macao in 1995. He became a judicial auditor in the courts of Macao in December 1995, a magistrate trainee in the Judicial Training Centre in 1996, and a prosecutor of the Public Prosecutions Office of Macao in 1998. He became a judge of the Primary Court of the Macao SAR in December 1999, Collegial Panel President of the Primary Court of the Macao SAR in 2011, and the President of the Primary Court and of the Administrative Court of the Macao SAR in 2013. Mr Ip was appointed as President of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the election of the fifth Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR in 2013. He was also a member of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the fourth Chief Executive Election in 2014. He assumed the post of Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office of the Macao SAR in December 2014.
