The community effort that contributed to minimise the negative impact on Macao from Typhoon Mangkhut was a strong display of perseverance and mutual solidarity, highlighting the resilience and other virtues of the city’s population in challenging times.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, issued two public letters, on behalf of the Government and in his personal capacity, to thank respectively the general public and the civil service team for their efforts to reduce the impact on Macao from Typhoon Mangkhut. The letters can be read in today’s editions of some of the city’s Chinese- and Portuguese-language newspapers.
In the letter addressed to the general public, Mr Chui expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Macao’s population for its cooperation with the Government, which contributed to rapidly restore normality to the streets after the powerful storm.
The public’s full cooperation with the Government – including its response to the first-ever official evacuation alert for people living in low-lying areas to move to safety – was proof of an increased level of understanding regarding public emergency situations.
Mr Chui also spoke highly of the public’s contribution and support to the post-typhoon recovery work. The support shown by the general public serves as encouragement to the Government to press ahead with plans to improve its response mechanism to public emergencies.
Typhoon Mangkhut – the strongest storm to impact Macao this year – hit the city on 16 September. The storm brought adverse weather conditions, and severe flooding to several of the city’s low-lying areas.
The Government acknowledged the need to review its emergency response mechanism based on the experience in dealing with Typhoon Mangkhut, in order to ensure the safety of the general public and their belongings in the event of public emergency, stated the Chief Executive in the letter.
In his other appreciation letter, the Chief Executive commended civil servants for their commitment and sense of duty during and after the passage of Typhoon Mangkhut. Mr Chui also thanked the families of those civil servants for the support and understanding they had shown.
Mr Chui thanked in particular front-line personnel involved in ensuring the safety and security of the community, praising their bravery in protecting members of the public and private property.
The commitment and selfless dedication to others shown by those civil servants had been widely recognised by the public. Mr Chui also urged civil service to strengthen efforts and the level of readiness to face future challenges, in order to guarantee the safety of the public.