“No chance” for reform concession; No on-shore power plant but online surveillance; Support for the Alliance at 23-year low. Photo Credit: Chris Lusher
CY Leung: “No chance” for last-ditch alteration on political reform.
– CY Leung reiterated that there is no chance for Beijing to make concession regarding the political reform package as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam announced the Government’s plan to table the bill on June 17 as scheduled
– latest result of a joint-institutional rolling survey showed (in Chinese) net support for the reform has increased from 9.2% to 10.7%
– Leung also met the visiting Governor of Hunan Province Du Jiahao yesterday and the Secretary of the CPC Fujian Province Committee You Quan the day before to discuss cooperation between Hong Kong and the two places
– Moderate democrat and Medical lawmaker Leung Ka-lau maintained (in Chinese) his stance against the reform but said he is still open for discussions with government officials
– Former Financial Secretary Antony Leung issued a seven-point blueprint on administration to future CE candidates – Leung himself might be among one of them
Government to hold interdepartmental meeting on MERS.
– Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man held a meeting with representatives from the Department of Health and Hospital Authority and confirmed that travellers with fever may face a maximum penalty of HKD5000 and six months’ imprisonment for providing false information on health assessment form
– Ko will convene an interdepartmental meeting to brief representatives from relevant bureaux and departments on the latest updates of the outbreaks of MERS and prevention measures
– A local doctor with respiratory symptoms has been admitted to hospital after returning from medical exchange activities in Seoul
Lawmakers blast Government for shelving on-shore plant and scheming on-line arrest.
– Civic Party’s Chan Ka-lok blasted CY Leung for dodging his policy pledges again as the Government announced move to shelve the construction of an on-shore power plant for ships at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to improve air quality in the district
– The authorities explained during the Panel on Environmental Affairs meeting that the project is on hold because of its high cost and limited usage
– Meanwhile, pan-dem lawmakers expressed concerns over the Government’s proposal to widen the scope of application of the Crimes Ordinance concerning suspicious online activities as a means to further political prosecution based on people’s remarks on the internet
– The Panel on Security was told that the number of Tech crimes has risen from 2002’s 272 to 6778 in 2014
Diplomat
John Tsang greets Italy on Republic Day.
– Italian Consul-General Antonello De Riu hosted celebration of the Italian National Day on June 2 – Financial Secretary John Tsang, with his humorous speech, was as the guest of honour
– Meanwhile, representatives of the EU member states met with LegCo president Jasper Tsang at the EU office in Hong Kong
Politics (general)
– A spokesman of the Environmental Protection Department said it has issued HKD2000 penalty fines to 15 shops in May for breaching the plastic shopping bay levy scheme
– The shops included a grocery store, pharmacies, a news stand and a hawker stall
Prominent political commentator proposes new angle for June 4th vigil.
– Chip Tsao, a prominent political commentator, argued (in Chinese) during a discussion forum that it would be better for Hong Kong people to continue to hold June 4th vigils while its theme could be slightly shifted to meet growing nativist or ‘localist’ sentiments
– The Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme found that support for the Alliance in Support of the Patriotic and Democratic Movements in China is at is lowest rate since 1992
