Revision to Law on Safeguarding National Security expected to be completed this year: Secretary
The Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, said today that planned improvements to Macao’s legal provisions and the city’s mechanism to safeguard national security were progressing in an orderly manner. The Government was striving to complete the revision of the relevant laws within this year, he added.
Secretary Wong detailed the Government’s work on safeguarding national security while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a celebration by the Macao public security forces and departments to mark the Chinese People's Police Day.
Advancing Macao’s effort on safeguarding national security was taking place via a two-pronged approach: improving the city’s legal provisions and the mechanism tasked with safeguard national security. Regarding the latter, an execution body had already been set up, said Mr Wong.
On the topic of the optimisation of the city’s legal system, a bill on the interception and protection of communications had been submitted to the Legislative Assembly, and would soon be up for its second reading, stated the Secretary. A bill to revise the Law on Safeguarding National Security was being drafted, and would be up for public consultation in due time, he added. The Government hoped that the amendment process to the Law on Safeguarding National Security would be completed within this year, said Mr Wong.
Enhancing community awareness for safeguarding national security was a top priority for the Government, Mr Wong stated.
The Secretary also told reporters that the security authorities had evaluated the current safety of the community to be similar to what it was in 2021.
The security authorities would closely monitor any upward trend regarding Internet-related crimes and other offences involving online payments. Mr Wong noted that due to the COVID-19 epidemic and a growing trend in global consumer behaviour, members of the public were inclined to shop more online and spend more on online entertainment.
Mr Wong said additionally that the security authorities remained vigilant on any potential risks to the safety of the Macao community, namely due to the refreshment of the city’s gaming concessions and any adjustments to cooperation agreements between the current gaming concessionaires or sub-concessionaires and gaming promoters.
Macao remained a secure and safe city, with no significant incidents endangering the safety of the community, Mr Wong added.