News

Macao residents’ need for cultural facilities has increased with the number of public library service users. Hence, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will commission the University of Macau to conduct the Macao Public Library Survey 2015 to evaluate the general need for public library services from the perspectives of current library service users and Macao residents, from November to December this year. A number of new Macao Central Library venues under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau have been completed and put into service, thus extending the network of public libraries to various districts of Macao. IACM libraries will also be merged with the system under the Bureau. Consequently, the Bureau intends to conduct the relevant survey to collate the statistical information about current and future use of and need for public libraries. The questionnaire comprises two parts – namely, ‘Survey of Public Library Users Needs and Opinions for Library Service’ and ‘Survey of Macao Residents Needs and Opinions on Library Service’. Random sampling surveys will be conducted by telephone, registering needs and opinions on various items, including the use, opening hours, locations, collections, services, facilities, electronic information and promotional activities of public libraries. Personal information provided by interviewees will only be used for statistical analysis and will be kept strictly confidential. The Cultural Affairs Bureau hopes to understand residents’ current use of Macao public library services as well as users’ expectations and needs for the current service and future development, for the analysis of Macao residents’ reading habits and optimisation of current services and facilities. It will also serve as a concrete reference for the future development of public libraries and relevant research into library services. For details, please refer to the Macao Central Library website: www.library.gov.mo; in addition, residents may contact the Bureau through tel. no. (853) 2837 7117 during opening hours for any enquiries about the survey. The opening hours of the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library is 10:00-19:00 (Monday to Saturday) and 11:00-19:00 (Sunday).
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The 29th Macao International Music Festival continues to present brilliant performances. Icelandic musician Ólafur Arnalds presents his first performance in Macao that is highly anticipated by audience; while renowned opera Faust brings the audience to the golden age of French opera. Ólafur Arnalds holds a concert at 8pm on 29 October, Thursday, in the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium. This talented musician’s works blend classical, pop and ambient/electronica influences, creating unique compositions through this genre-crossing technique. Besides, being as the Festival’s closing performance, the opera Faust is to be held for three consecutive evenings, between 30 October and 1 November, at 7:30pm, in the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Interpreted by the Macao Orchestra with its Principal Conductor Lü Jia, together with the Coro Lirico Siciliano and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, it brings the audience to the golden age of French opera. Other remarkable performances include concerts Il Mantovano Hebreo and Lamenti and Love Songs – Italian Madrigals from around 1600, by Israeli vocal quintet Profeti della Quinta, to be held, respectively, on 28 and 29 October, at St. Dominic’s Church; the northwestern China ethnic folk music concert Loess Ballads to be held on 31 October in the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium. Original folk music style is brought out by the original folk songs performance from dazzling singer A Bao and the youthful Wang Erni. Audience are suggested to arrive at concert venues in advance. Very limited tickets are still available for some of the above concerts. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For more information about the programme, please browse www.icm.gov.mo/fimm.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for July-September 2015 remained stable as the previous period (June-August), at 1.9%; the underemployment rate was 0.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force was 402,500 and the labour force participation rate stood at 73.2%. Total employment decreased by 200 from June-August, at 394,900. Number of the unemployed was 7,600, up slightly by 100 from June-August; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 14.6% of the total unemployed, down by 3.1 percentage points. With an increase in fresh labour force entrants (+400) looking for their first job during the summer holiday, the general unemployment rate (1.9%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.7%) for the third quarter increased by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively over the previous quarter. Total employment decreased by 3,400 quarter-to-quarter. Analysed by industry, the decline in demand for manpower in the Construction sector compared with the second quarter dragged down the employment in Construction (52,900) by 4,600 quarter-to-quarter, while employment in Education (17,800) increased by 1,800 as more courses were held in summer; meanwhile, employment in Hotels & Similar Activities (29,500) rose by 1,100. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as the previous quarter, at MOP15,000 in the third quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earning MOP19,000 and MOP13,000 respectively. Moreover, median earnings of the employed residents stood at MOP18,000, up by MOP500 quarter-to-quarter.
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Every year, the University of Macau (UM) confers honorary doctorates on distinguished individuals with outstanding achievements and significant contributions to society. This year, five distinguished individuals, namely Mario Capecchi, Ma Iao Lai, Pai Hsien-yung, Tsui Lap-Chee, and Zhong Nanshan, will receive honorary doctorates from UM. Mario Capecchi and Zhong Nanshan will receive the Doctor of Science honoris causa degree. Ma Iao Lai will receive the Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa degree. Pai Hsien-yung will receive the Doctor of Letters honoris causa degree. Tsui Lap-Chee will receive the Doctor of Education honoris causa degree. Prof Mario Capecchi shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2007. He received his PhD degree in biophysics from Harvard University in 1967. Prof Capecchi is best known for his pioneering work on the development of gene targeting in mouse embryo-derived stem (ES) cells. This allows scientists to evaluate in detail the function of any gene during the developmental or post-developmental phase of a mouse. He has won numerous awards, including the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research in 2003, and the March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology in 2005. Ma Iao Lai is a renowned entrepreneur in Macao. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1971. Ma is also an active philanthropist. In 2005, he founded the Meng Tak Charity Association, which has initiated and participated in various charity programmes in Macao and mainland China to reduce poverty, help children go to school, sponsor orphans, and care for the elderly, children and women in need. In addition, the association provides financial aid to children with congenital heart disease and funds cataract operations. Ma is the recipient of the Medal of Industrial and Commercial Merit from the Macao SAR government. He is currently a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and deputy director of the Subcommittee of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Compatriots and Overseas Chinese of the CPPCC. Prof Pai Hsien-yung is an eminent Chinese writer. He received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1965. Prof Pai has published many works, including short story collections Lonely Seventeen, Taipei People and The New Yorker, the essay collection Mo Ran Hui Shou (Suddenly Turning Back), and the novel Crystal Boys. His works have been translated into various languages and have been adapted into plays and films. Prof Pai is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture. He has produced a youth version of Peony Pavilion, a masterpiece of Kun opera, and it has been performed in different parts of the world. Prof Tsui Lap-Chee received his PhD degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979. He was the geneticist-in-chief and head of the Genetics and Genomic Biology Programme of the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children and a co-founder (with Dr Steve Scherer) of the Centre for Applied Genomics. He has also served on the editorial boards of over 20 international peer-reviewed scientific journals, numerous scientific review panels, and many national and international advisory committees. Prof Tsui helped build the University of Hong Kong into a world-class institution during his term as its vice-chancellor and president. Prof Zhong Nanshan is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the Division of Medical and Health Engineering. He spearheaded a number of significant research projects in mainland China and holds 38 patents. Prof Zhong is known for his research on the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. In 2007, he obtained approval from the Chinese central government to establish the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease. In 2013, he founded a clinical research centre for respiratory diseases. In addition, Prof Zhong has devised medical guidelines on treating asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), cough, severe acute respiratory diseases (SARS), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), in mainland China.
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2015 is the anniversary of some important milestones in the history of optical science. The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to promote the important technological achievements related to “light” in human history. From the publication of Ibn Al-Haytham’s “Book of Optics” in 1015, to the notion of light as a wave proposed by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1815, and also Charles Kao’s achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication in 1965, it is evident that the development of optical science and technology has brought huge advancement for human civilization in just a thousand years. In the International Year of Light, Communications Museum has created a new interactive exhibit - “Optical Phone”. Its concept originates from the photophone proposed by Alexander Bell. After his invention of telephone in 1876, Alexander Bell continued and soon successfully experimented on the photophone, which he regarded it as his greatest inventions. When the visitor takes up the torch of the exhibit, points the light beam at the receiver on the opposite side and talks to the phone, the light beam will change according to the voice. Light signal will be transformed into electric signal through the receiver so that the recipient can hear the voice of the sender on the phone. Therefore, visitors can operate the “Optical Phone” as a “wireless phone”, and share the excitement of photophone invention by Alexander Bell more that a hundred years ago. Schools are welcomed to book the activities of the IYL, including science demonstrations, workshops, electronic courses, talks of Science College and the “SciTech Talk - Optogenetics” by the Macau Society of Biomedical Engineering. The “Halloween Pumpkin” workshop which is part of the “LED festival” workshops for the public, will be held at the Communications Museum in the afternoons of October 31. Participants are welcomed to join by online registration. They will learn the basic principles of LED and make a special festive lamp stand. For details, please visit http://macao.communications.museum.
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The Government has set up a committee to advance the work of transforming Macao to a world centre for tourism and leisure, according to an Executive Order published today in the Macao SAR Gazette. The Committee for Development of the World Centre for Tourism and Leisure will be responsible for drafting a blueprint plan for tourism development for the next five years. The Committee will conduct research and advise on policies to help transform Macao to a world centre for tourism and leisure. The new body will set up a mechanism to annually review the plan. It will also advise on other related topics, according to the Executive Order. The Committee is chaired by the Chief Executive. It includes: the Secretary for Economy and Finance; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; the Secretary for Transport and Public Works; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office; the Government Spokesperson; two representatives from the Chief Executive’s Office; and two members from the Policy Research Office. The Executive Order states that the Chairman of the Committee may invite experts in different fields and representatives from the public and private sectors to join the works of the Committee or its meetings whenever deemed necessary. The Chief Executive’s Office will provide administrative, technical and logistic support to the Committee. The Committee’s budget will come from the Chief Executive’s Office.
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To commemorate the World Heart Day, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at Rua dos Currais, Bestway Garden, G/F, at 15H00 to 18H00 on 7th November 2015 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the “World Heart Day”. On that day, Macao Heart Foundation will sell the commemorative envelope and a cover, priced at 30.00 patacas individually at the mentioned location. The revenue will be for the charity purpose. Various philatelic products will be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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To mark the 10th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage, Macao Post will launch the thematic pack under the theme "Macao World Heritage" on 30th October 2015, containing philatelic products depicting the theme launched by the Maco Post in 2005, 2010 and 2015. This pack will be available for sale at the Philatelic Shop of Macao Post Headquarters, “Rua do Campo” Post Office, Maritime Ferry Terminal Post Office, Airport Post Office, and the Communications Museum. The selling price is MOP120.00 each.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said the constant support of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao has been an important factor in facilitating the city’s external affairs and long-term development. Mr Chui made the comments on 26 October during a meeting with the new Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao, Mr Ye Dabo, at the Government Headquarters. The Chief Executive said the good communication mechanism established between the Government and the Office of the Commissioner has laid a solid foundation for cooperation since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region 15 years ago. Mr Chui said the Government has closely followed the principles of the Basic Law when handling Macao’s external affairs, greatly supported by the Office of the Commissioner. Over the years, the Office of the Commissioner has assisted Macao in establishing ties with international associations, in organising international conferences and forums, and in reviewing the enforcement of international treaties in the Macao SAR, he added. In the meeting, the Commissioner was briefed on the economic situation of Macao. Mr Chui said the Government would make use of the ongoing adjustment period of the city’s economy to foster industry diversification and to strengthen regional cooperation, as ways to improve people’s quality of life. Mr Ye, who took over the position on 23 October, said he is proud of serving as Commissioner and supporting Macao’s development and its people. The Commissioner briefed Mr Chui on his action plan for the future. It includes: to build up Macao’s external relations; to support visits of the Chief Executive and other principal officials abroad; to encourage visits of foreign leaders to Macao; to assist Macao in taking part in international organisations and host international conferences; and to facilitate the signing of international treaties that would help enhance Macao’s profile. Mr Ye said the Office of the Commissioner would strengthen its contributions to the transformation of Macao to a world centre of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, (known as the “Centre and Platform” strategy). The Office of the Commissioner would also help Macao take part in the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road national initiative, he added. Officials attending the meeting included the wife of Mr Ye and advisor to the Office of the Commissioner, Ms Qiu Weiwei; the Deputy Commissioners of the Office of the Commissioner, Mr Pan Yundong and Mr Cai Siping; the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; and the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng.
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The Government is closely monitoring a mobile app-based private car hailing service that was recently made available in Macao. The authorities will step up enforcement of laws that bar unlicensed passenger transportation services, and crack down on illegal car-hire services in Macao. Unlicensed car hailing services are not appropriate to effectively compensate for the lack of available taxis in Macao. Given its lack of transparency, the operational model of calling a driver using a mobile app creates difficulties for the Government to legally ensure the safety of passengers and the protection of their rights. Requesting passenger transportation services via this type of mobile app might also lead to overcharging cases due to the lack of a clear charge policy. It is obviously illegal for any private or unauthorised vehicle to provide passenger transportation services with the support of a mobile app. Any person found guilty of the offence could face a fine of 30,000 patacas. The Government has requested the Public Security Police Force, the Transport Bureau and the Macau Government Tourist Office to investigate the case and to act accordingly. The Government fully understands the concerns of residents and visitors on the need to improve Macao’s taxi services. The Government has strengthened supervision of the industry and is currently revising related legislation. The goal of these measures is to ensure both residents and tourists can enjoy quality taxi services, in compliance with the policy of transforming Macao to a world centre of tourism and leisure.
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