Macau leader raises integrity doubts
By Olivia Chung
HONG KONG - The appointments by Macau's new chief executive, Fernando Chui
Sai-on, of the heads of the government's watchdogs on public spending and
corruption have raised concern over the integrity of his government, which is
due to take over next month.
Chui, aged 52, will be sworn in as chief executive on December 20 after being
elected to Macau's top job by a 300-member committee in July. Last week, he
announced a cabinet lineup that includes three new appointees and seven
ministers from the outgoing government. The appointments have been approved
by
China, of which the Macau Special Administrative Region is a part.
A notable absentee from the new government in Macau, which derives the bulk of
its income from gambling and related projects, is former commissioner of audit,
Fatima Choi Mei-lei, who has uncovered major cases of government misspending.
The only top official to miss out on reappointment, she is replaced by Ho
Weng-on, the head of the outgoing chief executive's office.
Also raising eyebrows is the appointment of Vasco Fong Man-chong, a Court of
Second Instance judge, to be commissioner against corruption. Fong's younger
sister, Fong Mei-lin, was directly linked to former secretary for transport and
public works, Ao Man-long, who has been jailed for corruption. His case is
still being investigated.
Cheong U, who has led the Commission Against Corruption since the special
region was established in 1999, was appointed secretary for social affairs and
culture, a post held by Chui until he resigned in May to run for chief
executive.
Chui said at a press conference that his government would place graft-fighting
and auditing as priorities.
"Efforts to fight corruption and build a sunshine government will be among the
focuses of the new government. I and my team will hold to the idea of 'people
first'," he said. The term "sunshine government" is widely used in Taiwan and
Hong Kong, denoting a transparent administration.
The first question raised at the press conference, however, was why Choi was
not reappointed commissioner of audit and if this was related to her uncovering
a 1.4 billion pataca (US$180 million) overrun for the East Asian Games held in
Macau in 2005, for which chief executive-elect Chui, as then-secretary for
social affairs and culture, was chief organizer.
The games' total construction cost, budgeted at 2 billion patacas, ran to 3.4
billion patacas, while the main venue, the Macau Dome, cost 1.2 billion
patacas, or 80% more than budgeted. About 50 million patacas was received by
former secretary for transport and public works, Ao, from the Macau Dome's
builder in the form of kickbacks.
Macau auditors were praised for their scrutiny of the East Asian Games by Liu
Jiayi, head of the central government's National Audit Office, when he visited
the city in February.
This year, the audit commission found that a committee under the Financial
Services Bureau responsible for valuing vehicles had wasted 3.4 million patacas
between 2006 and 2008.
Chui said at the press conference that his decision not to reappoint Choi had
nothing to do with the auditing of the games.
"It is normal that a person stays or leaves when a new government is being set
up ... We need to respect one's personal will," said Chui, who then vowed not
to respond to questions about the same matter again.
Bombarded by the same questions by reporters, Chui repeated that they needed to
respect one's personal will.
However, outgoing audit commissioner, Choi, who did not attend Chui's press
conference but later the same day held a separate "meeting with the press" at
her office, said the question whether she would be included in Chui's
government was not up to her. "It's left with the chief executive," she said.
Choi, a civil servant, said she respected Chui's decision and was "not
surprised at all" to hear the news that she would not continue in her post.
"Recently something unusual has happened. Honestly speaking, I find it strange.
How can things like this happen? Of course, I myself also have my own
speculation about that," Choi said, referring to criticism by legislators of
the Commission of Audit's decision to publish its auditing reports.
At a legislature meeting last month, legislator Vong Hin-fai, Chui's election
representative when the latter ran for the chief executive post, and legislator
Tong Io-cheng said it was unlawful for the commission to publicize its auditing
reports.
Choi questioned why the legislators had said this.
"The relationship between the Commission of Audit and the Legislative Assembly
should be based on partnership, so I don't understand why members of the
legislature would criticize the job of the Commission of Audit like that ...
Publishing audit reports is what we should do," she said.
Choi also said that the outgoing chief executive, Edmund Ho Hau Wah, who had
held the post since Portugal handed Macau back to China in 1999, had never put
any pressure on her and had strongly supported her work.
Choi also said that she had met Chui only once since his election to be chief
executive and that they had never "seriously" discussed the issue of whether
she would leave her post.
Ho Weng-on, who replaces Choi, said in the press conference that increased
transparency in government was now a global trend, and he vowed to act in
accordance with the law should any irregularities within the government be
discovered.
The new Commissioner against Corruption, Vasco Fong Man-chong, responding to
concerns that his work might be affected by his sister's link with someone who
was convicted, said there were laws preventing conflict of interest.
Fong Mei-lin, a former legal consultant at Ao's ministerial office, appeared as
a witness at Macau's biggest corruption trial in November 2007, when she
testified that she had received Tiffany diamond rings and other jewelry worth
HK$290,000 (US$37,500) in total as birthday gifts from Ao.
Ao was detained by Commission Against Corruption agents in December 2006 and
sentenced in two separate trials in January 2008 and April this year to a total
of 28 years and six months behind bars for corruption, money laundering, abuse
of authority and unjustified wealth.
Ao's wife, a former public servant, has absconded overseas with the couple's
two children.
As the new appointees prepare to take up their posts, Choi's future is unclear.
She said she had never considered quitting work in public administration. "I
will definitely insist on my personal work principles and fulfill my duties,"
she said.
Analysts said the fact that Choi was the only top official not to be
reappointed would send a message to the public that responsible officials would
be punished while irresponsible ones would be retained.
Larry So Man-yum, professor of the social work department at Macau Polytechnic
Institute, said the new administration's failure to reappoint Choi told the
public that officials who were not afraid to stand up for what they knew was
right would be penalized.
Antonio Ng Kuok-cheong, a New Macau Association (NMA) member of the Legislative
Assembly in Macau, said he was not surprised by Choi's failure to be
reappointed. He believed it was related to her criticism of Chui over the East
Asian Games budget overrun, when he was social affairs and culture secretary.
Among the principal officials who have been retained, Secretary for
Administration and Justice Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan and Secretary for
Transport and Public Works Lau Si-io had been criticized for their work
performance, said Au Kam-san, a legislator and NMA member.
"However, Choi, who stands up for what she knows is right, is not allowed to
stay, which is believed to be related to her uncovering government misspending
cases. This indicates how much Chui can take when facing criticism," he said.
The treatment of Choi also highlighted the need for government culture to be
transformed, said Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a political scientist at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong.
"Problems of collusion between business people and government officials, money
laundering and corruption still exist 10 years after Macau's handover, but the
cabinet lineup has not tried to keep the new government from these problems,"
he said. "It disappoints people."
Seven incumbent principal officials will stay in their jobs - Secretary for
Administration and Justice Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan; Secretary for Economy
and Finance Francis Tam Pak-yuen; Secretary for Security Cheong Kuoc-va;
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Lau Si-io; Commissioner General of the
Unitary Police Service Jose Proenca Branco; Director-General of the Macao
Customs Choi Lai-hang; and Public Prosecutor-General Ho Chio-meng.
The new appointments take effect on December 20, the same day Chui assumes
office as chief executive.
Olivia Chung is a senior Asia Times Online reporter.
(Copyright 2009 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact us about
sales, syndication and
republishing.)
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
