The worst kind of blindness is the one that refuses to see. It’s inconvenient, it leaves no clear course of action; so eyes are covered, hoping reality won’t intrude. But the worst decision is the one never made; the problem drags on, swells and eventually kills. The market does not fix everything; sometimes it only makes things worse. And when the best that can be done is nothing, things can only deteriorate further.
“Step outside the confines of your offices and see what is happening.” This is not an anonymous complaint, a newspaper opinion, or street-level frustration; the message is official and weighty. Zhang Yingjie, deputy director of the Liaison Office, laid down seven governing principles at a session on the “Two Sessions.” It did not appear in official statements, but it was highlighted by Hong Kong’s TVB and echoed in Macau. Ignoring it will have consequences.
In San Wa Ou, a mainland-leaning publication, an editorial makes clear the unease behind the message. Palace politics, theories, speeches and plans – yet little connection to reality, to a present that hurts and worries. Macau faces “numerous contradictions,” Zhang said. He was not talking about security, external enemies, or blaming capitalism. He was talking about the Government – about its absence.
In the Macao Daily News, an editorial sharply criticises the end of crime briefings. More than the issue itself, the attack targets the lack of transparency – a manifesto against disconnection from public interest. Apparently signed under a pseudonym, it could only be published with the editor’s approval. Lok Po knows exactly what is happening – and what Beijing thinks.
Macau needs a contingency plan—policies focused on the present while the future takes shape
The problems are many – not GDP, buoyed by the gaming sector – but everything else: wealth distribution, an expectations crisis, lack of investment, diversification still out of reach. Tourists are eating takeaway, but even that is no longer business, undermined by cross-border competition.
Tai Kin Ip, officially citing depression, steps down on his own, leaving behind a ticking time bomb. Behind the scenes, O Lam is said to be the frontrunner, moving from a portfolio that allocates funds to one that must generate them. A heavyweight, well connected in Beijing – but with no magic wand, and unwilling to become the next scapegoat. That role could fall to Vong Sin Man, head of the Monetary Authority.
The new policy cycle has a rational plan: diversification, investment, regional integration, platform building. All correct. But two truths remain unavoidable. First, it takes time; second, it requires speed and efficiency. There are many challenges, but that cannot paralyse action – they must be tackled one by one, decisively.
Meanwhile, the present is unforgiving. It removes the ground that once existed without offering an immediate alternative -a delay that breeds frustration. Macau needs a contingency plan, policies focused on the present while the future takes shape. And judging by the clarity of the official message, the Government must understand what is happening – before one day nothing is happening to it at all.
