11
Utterly predictable
ver the past few last weeks, our the authorities’ decision to close the borders to certain
O
esteemed legislators have reverted to type. “undesirable” elements from Hong Kong, whether
If we hadn’t long ago lost all hope they were journalists, legislators or demonstrators.
of a miracle delivering us a Legislative Once more, they chose to stick their heads in the
Assembly only with competent members, the most sand, when they should have fought for transparent
recent behavior of our political representatives has decisions and the need to justify administrative acts.
delivered a clunking reality check. The spurious excuse was the “irrelevant” number
This year, the Commission of Audit was of elements barred from entering when compared
particularly critical in its report regarding the to the total number of annual Hong Kong visitors,
government’s management. The commissioner’s and the fact that Hong Kong bars many more Macau
opinion was issued with “reservations”, a clear sign residents than Macau bars Hong Kong residents.
that something is really wrong. As if this “percentages’’ take on the law is enough
It’s true that we’re talking about a very rigid of an excuse, or our mistakes can be justified by the
piece of legislation, that certain accounting mistakes of others. Again, brilliant.
regulations need to be updated and that the And, as if all this wasn’t enough, a significant
public accounting management regime is being number of legislators have serious doubts about
modernized, but it’s also true that, over the years, the proposal to broaden the scope of powers of the
many mistakes, lapses and deficiencies were Commission Against Corruption (CAC). They don’t
identified and almost nothing came of it. question so much the ability of the CAC to fulfill
People who have lived in Macau for some years their new functions – which would allow the CAC to
surely remember the ineffable “blue bags” that also investigate the private sector - but whether the
allowed for strange accounting practices which kept CAC should have more powers. Period.
things hidden from the eys of third parties. Outside, Some of us, who have been around for some
independent analysis, if possible, was never made. time now, know full well the reason why some
During this administration, responsibility for past legislators don’t feel confortable with any kind of
mistakes was never attributed and much less were empowerment of the CAC.
transgressions punished. Eventually, the mistakes We have been in favour of the reinforcement of
changed. Instead of wanting to go further, our these powers for a long time, to see if Macau can
legislators found the facts and solved whatever was finally get on the right track. We remain doubtful
wrong – or, according to the less optmistic, very about the CAC’s ability to be like Hong Kong’s
wrong - then chose to censure the Commissioner of ICAC, however. We are anxious for it to happen and
Audit, thus closing the entire case. Brilliant. we want it to happen, but some past investigations
It was more or less the same legislators who tried and attitudes from the institution led by Chong U
to defend what is clearly indefensible, by supporting leave us with an ocean of doubts.
april 2009
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