Testimony for Sam Hou Fai

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The electoral process to choose the next Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is underway, with the election date set for 13 October.

Sam Hou Fai, former President of the Court of Final Appeal, is the only candidate and everything indicates that his choice will be broadly confirmed on that date by the Electoral Committee, composed of 400 members from various sectors of society, which will be good news for the MSAR and for Portugal.

A prominent figure for his role as President of the Court of Final Appeal of the MSAR, a position he has held since its creation in 1999, Sam Hou Fai is respected for his deep connection to justice over the last three decades.

In fact, he has followed and decided on numerous highly relevant cases, with the necessary determination, with a view to consolidating the judicial system of the MSAR, in a complex framework, required by the various legal systems that combine in the context of the Greater Bay Area. His experience, his recognized knowledge of the Portuguese language and the principles that govern the MSAR, China and Portugal, make him the ideal candidate to lead this crucial and critical moment in the history of the future Greater Bay Area. Sam Hou Fai’s commitment to the values of the Basic Law and respect for what is advocated in the Luso-Chinese Joint Declaration will come to the fore, as will the evidence of his ability to enhance the knowledge of all interlocutors, without neglecting the Portuguese, in favor of the unique identity that History has reserved for the MSAR, characterized by the multiculturalism that it is urgent to preserve, for this will unite and strengthen us.

In 1991, I had the privilege of witnessing his leadership and resilience in a relationship between trainer and trainee. That is why I must give this testimony for Sam Hou Fai, because I am convinced that he is the right person, in the current situation, to set the MSAR on a path of development and prosperity. And, at the same time, in line with the political objectives set by the People’s Republic of China.

As a Portuguese citizen, I believe that his appointment as Chief Executive of the MSAR will promote bilateral relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic, giving new impetus to the commercial exchange of Portuguese businesspeople in the Greater Bay Area.

I am convinced that, with Sam Hou Fai, future challenges will be focused on the innovation that the economy needs, the reduction of bureaucracy and efficiency that the Administration requires, and the firmness of social justice; in favor of stability, progress and the safeguarding of the interests of all residents of the MSAR.