Author Archives: hksar gov

     Young local percussionist Matthew Lau will demonstrate his superb skills in an enjoyable and playful recital to be staged in October.
 
     The programme will feature Daniel Alejandro Almada’s “Linde for Vibraphone & Tape”, Steve Reich’s “Vermont Counterpoint for Flute & Tape, arr. for Vibraphone & Tape”, Von Hansen’s new work “Loops for Vibraphone & Computer” (Hong Kong premiere) and Iannis Xenakis’ “Psappha”. Fellow percussionist Vonald Chow will accompany Lau and will perform Paul Lansky’s “Travel Diary for Two Percussion””
 
     Matthew Lau was born in Hong Kong and obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts in contemporary percussion performance from Stony Brook University in the United States, under the guidance of Eduardo Leandro. He holds a Master’s degree of Music from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree of Music from the Hong Kong Baptist University. His principal teachers include Jonathan Haas, Simon Boyar, James Saporito, Lung Heung-wing and James Boznos. Lau is currently a part-time lecturer at the Hong Kong Baptist University’s Department of Music. 
 
     A finalist at the 2016 Italy Percussive Arts Society Competition Vibraphone Category, Lau’s performance at the Aspen Music Festival was praised as a “soulful and technically impressive solo” by The Aspen Times. He has performed in cities around the world, including Buenos Aires, Perth, Brisbane, Boston, New York, Montclair, Gettysburg, Aspen, Brooklyn, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong. As an avid chamber musician, he is the co-founder and member of the percussion duo Fisher/Lau Project with Abby Fisher.
 
     Pursuing a strong interest in contemporary percussion music, his vision and aesthetic seek to expand the ever-growing percussion repertoire by pushing existing boundaries, incorporating electronics and technologies as well as discovering new sounds. His interest in exploring new music has led him to commission new pieces with many renowned composers.
 
      “Our Music Talents Series: Percussion Recital by Matthew Lau” will be staged at 8pm on October 5 (Saturday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $120 and $160 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_833.html.
 
     Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the “Our Music Talents” Series nurtures and supports local emerging artists and groups as well as providing them with performing opportunities, thus assisting their development in performing arts. read more

     The Transport Department (TD) today (July 25) announced that special arrangements will be implemented for reserving Ad Hoc Quotas for Cross Boundary Private Cars in relation to the suspension of operation of relevant Mainland g… read more

     As the Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate precautions to prevent heat stroke when working in a hot or humid environment.
 
     Heat stroke could occur if an employee works in a hot or humid environment for prolonged periods of time, as the body may fail to regulate its temperature by effective heat dissipation through sweating.
 
     The symptoms of heat-related illnesses include feeling thirsty, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, muscle spasm or even mental confusion, and loss of consciousness or convulsions in severe cases.
 
     Construction workers, cleaning workers, kitchen workers and porters, for example, are more prone to heat stroke as they may be working for long hours in such an environment, especially if appropriate preventive measures have not been taken.
 
     The LD reminds employers to arrange for a suitable assessment of the risk of heat stress in the work environment and take appropriate preventive measures. The LD has produced two leaflets entitled “Checklist for Heat Stress Assessment at Construction Sites” and “Checklist for Heat Stress Assessment at Outdoor Cleansing Workplaces” respectively. Employers engaged in construction or outdoor cleaning work are advised to refer to these checklists in assessing the risk of heat stress at their workplaces. As for heat stress assessment at a workplace in general, employers can refer to a booklet entitled “Risk Assessment for the Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work” produced by the LD.
 
     The LD also reminds employers and employees to take the following precautions to prevent heat stroke:
 
Employers
———
(1) Take heed of the weather report and adopt shift work arrangements for employees to reduce their exposure to the hot environment, or arrange appropriate rest breaks for them during very hot periods;
(2) Avoid working under direct sunlight and set up temporary sunshade wherever possible;
(3) Provide cool potable water for employees at all times during work. If necessary, provide drinks containing electrolytes for employees to replenish the loss of salt during profuse sweating;
(4) Minimise physical demands by using tools or mechanical aids at work;
(5) Increase air flow by enhancing ventilation or air-conditioning as appropriate;
(6) Isolate heat-generating facilities at the workplace and use insulating materials to minimise heat dissipation to the other work areas; and
(7) Provide relevant information and training for employees on heat stroke such as preventive measures and first aid treatment.
 
Employees
———
(1) Wear clothing made of suitable materials (for example, cotton) that is loose-fitting and light-coloured to help heat dissipation, minimise heat absorption and allow sweat evaporation;
(2) Wear a wide-brimmed hat when working outdoors;
(3) Drink plenty of water or other appropriate beverages with electrolytes to replenish the fluids and salt lost through sweating; and
(4) Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, rest in a cool or shady place and drink water, and inform supervisors to take appropriate actions immediately.
 
     Some employees may have difficulty in adapting to a hot working environment owing to their own health conditions. Employers should take this into account and consider the recommendations of their doctors when assigning work to these employees.
      
     In addition to the publications on risk assessment, the LD has produced a leaflet entitled “Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work in a Hot Environment” for the public. The publications can be obtained free of charge from the offices of the Occupational Health Service of the LD, or downloaded from the department’s webpage at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_9.htm.
 
     The LD organises occupational health talks in public places and at its own training venues regularly to raise employers’ and employees’ awareness of occupational health. Details of health talks on the prevention of heat stroke at work in a hot environment in July to September are as follows:
 
(A)
Dates: July 29; August 13, 15 and 26; and September 5, 17 and 27
(am);
August 5, 20 and 29 and September 9 and 24
(pm)
Time: Half-day
Venue: Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre of the Labour Department, 13/F, Kolour·Tsuen Wan I, 68 Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
 
(B)
Dates: July 26 and August 9 and 27
Time: Half-day, morning
Venue: Occupational Safety and Health Centre of the Labour Department, G/F,
Kwun Tong Community Health Centre Building, 60 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong
(MTR Kwun Tong Station Exit A1)
 
(C)
Date: August 26
Time: 3pm to 4.30pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit E)

     For enrolment or enquiries about these occupational health talks, please call 2852 4040 or 2361 8240 (for talks organised at the Occupational Safety and Health Centre). Moreover, the LD also provides an outreach health education service and occupational health nurses will, on invitation, disseminate occupational health information at workplaces at a convenient time. Please contact the nursing officer at 2852 4062 for details. All these health talks are free of charge. read more

     The “City Hall Virtuosi” Series presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be held from September to December. The programmes of the three recitals are as follows:
 
Piano and Pipa Duo Recital by Linda Yim and Zhang Ying
—————————————————————
September 1 (Sunday), 8pm
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Tickets: $150 and $200
 
     Linda Yim is a member of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and currently teaches at the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Education University of Hong Kong. She is proactive in promoting classical and modern music education. She graduated from the Hong Kong Baptist University, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Royal College of Music in London and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney, where she obtained her Master of Music Studies degree majoring in piano. She has performed on the Mainland and in Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom. 
 
     Zhang Ying is currently Principal Pipa of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra as well as a part-time academic staff member of the School of Music of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She teaches at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Education University of Hong Kong. She graduated from the China Conservatory of Music with a Master’s degree. She has studied pipa with Zhao Yinan, Li Guixiang, Wu Junsheng, Ren Hong and Yang Jing, and has won numerous awards in international competitions.
 
Viola Recital by Andrew Ling
—————————–
September 8 (Sunday), 8pm
Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Tickets: $150 and $200
 
     Andrew Ling is currently the Principal Violist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He is active in the classical music scene and is often seen playing solos, chamber works and conducting. Ling’s journey with music began at age 6 when he studied violin with the late Professor Lin Yaoji at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He went on to pursue violin performance at Indiana University under Henryk Kowalski, Mauricio Fuks, Alan de Veritch and the late Ik-hwan Bae, and was a protégé of Lin Choliang at Rice University.
 
The Hungarian Connections
————————-
December 13 (Friday), 8pm
Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall
Tickets: $150 and $200
 
      The concert will feature a piano duo performance by Colleen Lee and Warren Lee, as well as percussionists Choy Lap-tak and Raymond Vong.
 
     Pianist Colleen Lee has received many international awards beyond her success in winning the sixth-place prize at the 15th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. She won First Prize at the 3rd Seiler International Piano Competition in Germany, the 2003 Dorothy Mackenzie Artist Recognition Award, and Third Place and Critic and Audience Prizes at the 15th International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Italy.
 
     Pianist Warren Lee received a Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in Hong Kong in 2012, an Associateship from the Royal Academy of Music in the United Kingdom in 2015 and the Ian Mininberg Distinguished Alumni Award by the Yale School of Music in the United States in 2017.  
 
     Percussionist Choy Lap-tak is currently a tutor in Western percussion as well as an adviser and coach for the Academy’s Percussion Ensemble at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Choy is an active percussion and timpani soloist, and has performed percussion and timpani concertos and appeared in the Sydney Opera House and venues in Beijing, Singapore and Korea.
 
     Currently principal percussionist of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong since 2013, Raymond Vong obtained a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree and a Master of Music degree with distinction from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has given many percussion solo and ensemble concerts in Hong Kong and Macao.
 
      Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_784.html. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:
 
     The Ombudsman, Ms Winnie Chiu, presented to the public today (July 25) the 2018-19 Annual Report of the Office of The Ombudsman.  
 
     The Office of The Ombudsman (the Office) received 4 991 complaints in 2018-19, slightly higher than the previous year’s figure. Among the complaints received, 205 were concluded by way of full investigation, of which 58 (28.3 per cent) were substantiated or partially substantiated, similar to previous year’s figure of 26.2 per cent. Meanwhile, cases concluded as “unsubstantiated but other inadequacies found” increased from previous year’s 4.1 per cent to this year’s 15.1 per cent. During the year, the Office completed 12 direct investigations, with another 10 still underway.
 
     “Due to our unique status and statutory powers, the Office continues to be a popular and effective avenue of complaint for citizens aggrieved by acts of maladministration. We can be trusted to investigate complaints and resolve disputes in an independent, objective and impartial manner. The Office also helps government departments and public bodies by reviewing whether they have been acting correctly or improperly, focusing on what has triggered complaints and recommending what improvements are called for, thus raising the standard of public administration,” Ms Chiu said. 
 
     During the year, the Office made 253 recommendations upon completion of its full investigations and direct investigations. Of these, 234 (92.5 per cent) were accepted by the organisations for implementation while 19 (7.5 per cent) were under consideration as at June 30, 2019. Some organisations took the initiative to make improvements even during the course of an investigation.
 
     In 2018-19, 205 cases (7 per cent) were concluded by mediation, with 26 government departments and public organisations participating in resolving complaints by this method. More organisations have become receptive to this mode of complaint resolution. The average processing time was about 12.8 days, with 92 per cent of the cases completed within one month and over 30 per cent were resolved within five days. Over 90 per cent of the complainants were satisfied with the work of the mediators and all organisations were satisfied with the outcome of the mediation.
 
     The Office received 87 complaints regarding access to information, dropping slightly from the 93 complaints received the year before, although the 2018 complaint number was up 55 per cent compared with the figure five years ago. The Office found that the most common failing of the government departments and public organisations was non-compliance with specific provisions of the Code, including failure to consider provision of part of a record, to meet the target response time, to provide reasons for refusal, to inform the information requester of the channel for a review or complaint, or to obtain third-party consent.
 
     The Summary of the Annual Report is enclosed for reference. The full text of the Annual Report can be viewed or downloaded from the Office of The Ombudsman website at www.ombudsman.hk. read more