Policy secretary to become legislator
The State Council, based on the nomination by Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, has appointed Wong Sio Chak, the current secretary for security of the MSAR government, as the secretary for administration and justice, effective from October 16, replacing André Cheong Weng Chon, who has meanwhile been appointed by Sam as a member of the new, eighth term of the MSAR’s Legislative Assembly (AL), which will start on October 16.
Since the establishment of the MSAR on December 20, 1999, it is the first time that a chief executive has decided to appoint an incumbent policy secretary of the government to the Legislative Assembly.
Wong, 57, has been the secretary for security since December 2014, while Cheong, 59, has been the secretary for administration and justice since December 2019.
Wong was appointed as the secretary for security for then chief executive Fernando Chui Sai On’s second-term administration, which started in December 2014, and was reappointed for then chief executive Ho Iat Seng’s first-term administration, which started in December 2019. He was reappointed for the current administration headed by Sam, which started in December last year.
Cheong was appointed as the secretary for administration and justice for Ho’s first-term administration, and was reappointed for Sam’s current administration, which started just nine months ago.
Xinhua released a dispatch yesterday morning about the central government’s appointments of two policy secretaries and the chief public prosecutor of the MSAR effective from October 16, according to which the State Council has appointed Wong as the secretary for administration and justice, while Chan Tsz King has been appointed as the secretary for security. The State Council has appointed Tong Hio Fong as the prosecutor-general (chief public prosecutor) of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), according to the dispatch.
Effective from October 16, Chan, the current chief public prosecutor, will replace Wong as the secretary for security, while Tong, the current president of the MSAR’s Court of Second Instance (TSI), will replace Chan as the chief public prosecutor.
The Central People’s Government shall appoint or remove the MSAR’s chief executive, principal officials and prosecutor-general, according to Article 15 of the MSAR Basic Law.
According to the MSAR Basic Law’s Article 50, the chief executive “nominates and reports to the Central People’s Government for the appointment” of the MSAR’s principal officials and prosecutor-general, and recommends to the central government their removal.
Sam has appointed seven members to the MSAR’s 8th Legislative Assembly through an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday, one of whom is André Cheong.
Correspondingly, according to the Xinhua dispatch yesterday, the State Council, based on Sam’s “recommendation”, has decided to remove Cheong from the position of secretary for administration and justice, Wong from the position of secretary for security, and Chan from the position of prosecutor-general, effective from October 16.
The seven whom Sam has appointed to the legislature’s new term comprise six newcomers to the hemicycle, including Cheong, and one who has been reappointed.
The 33-member Legislative Assembly currently comprises 14 deputies directly elected by universal suffrage, 12 deputies indirectly elected by association representatives, and seven deputies appointed by the chief executive after the direct and indirect elections.
The 2025 direct and indirect legislative elections took place on September 14. The next four-year legislative term will begin on October 16.
The Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday also issued a statement about the central government’s appointments of Wong, Chan and Tong, which also include their CVs.
Wong, born in Guangdong Province, began working for the Judiciary Police (PJ) in 1994 and became a prosecutor in 1997. He became a deputy PJ director in November 1998. Wong became an assistant prosecutor-general in March 2000. He was appointed as the director of the Judiciary Police in November 2000 while holding the rank of an assistant prosecutor-general.
Wong, who holds a doctoral degree in Legal Studies from Peking University, was appointed as the secretary for security for then chief executive Fernando Chui Sai On’s second-term administration, which started in December 2014, before he was reappointed for then chief executive Ho Iat Seng’s first-term administration, which started in December 2019. His reappointment in December last year was his second reappointment as the secretary for security.
Chan, born in Hong Kong, was appointed as the commissioner against corruption in December 2019 for Ho’s administration. He was appointed as the prosecutor-general of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) in December last year for Sam’s current administration, returning to where he previously worked.
Chan, 55, became a prosecutor in 1997, before being appointed as an assistant prosecutor-general in March 2000. Chan holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from Portugal’s Autonomous University of Lisbon.
Tong, born in Macau, had been a judge of the Court of First Instance (TJB) since the establishment of the MSAR in December 1999. Then chief executive Fernando Chui appointed Tong as the president of the Court of First Instance in January 2011.
Tong, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from the public University of Macau (UM), became a judge in July 1999, i.e., shortly before the establishment of the MSAR.
Tong, 52, became a judge of the Court of Second Instance (TSI) in October 2013, where he was appointed as the president by then chief executive Ho in October 2022.
Tong was appointed by Chui as the president of the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) that oversaw the legislature’s direct and indirect elections in 2017. Tong was again appointed, by Ho at that time, as the head of the commission that oversaw the legislative direct and indirect elections in 2021.
Tong currently also works as a part-time UM lecturer.
7 appointed lawmakers
Meanwhile, the seven appointed lawmakers announced yesterday comprise André Cheong, Lei Wun Kong, Kou Kam Fai, Chao Ka Chon, Lam Fat Iam, Wong Ka Lon, and Sandro Kou Ngon Seng.
Except Kou Kam Fai who has been reappointed, the other six will be newcomers to the hemicycle.
A separate GCS statement yesterday laid out their CVs.
Kou Kam Fai is currently the principal of Pui Ching Middle School.
Lei, a lawyer by profession, was the trustee of Sam’s chief executive election campaign last year.
Chao, who holds a master’s degree in information technology (IT), currently heads a local IT company.
Lam, who holds a doctoral degree in history, is a scholar in local history.
Wong Ka Lon is the founding chairman of the Macau Live Streaming Association, while Kou Ngon Seng, who holds a doctoral degree in business administration, is an executive of the local airport operator CAM, heading its Infrastructure Development Department.
This file photo shows Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak addressing a press conference last Tuesday. Wong will become the secretary for administration and justice on October 16. – Photo: GCS
This file photo shows Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon delivering a speech during a session at the Macao Polytechnic University’s (MPU) Multi Sport Pavilion in Zape on September 3. Cheong has been appointed by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai as a legislator effective from October 16. – Photo: GCS
