Following is the English translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session on the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 today (May 20):
      
     Thank you for coming to the Central Government Offices. In accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council (LegCo), I issued today a letter to the chairman of the House Committee of LegCo, proposing to make preparation for the resumption of the Second Reading debate of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 on June 12, 2019. In accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure, the public officer in charge of the Bill may, after consultation with the chairman of the House Committee, give a written notice to the office of the Clerk of the LegCo to resume the Second Reading debate.
      
     Since the Government has proposed the legislative amendments, we have been engaging different sectors of the community to explain, listen and collect their views, and elaborate the legislative objective to combat against crimes, the content of the proposals and human rights safeguards therein. The Security Bureau introduced the Bill into the LegCo on April 3, 2019, for First and Second Reading. The Government team, comprising the officers of the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, has been fully prepared for the scrutiny of the Bill, and has all along been hoping to interact with members, listen to their views and answer their questions through the platform of the Bills Committee, with a view to improving the Bill. After the House Committee's decision to form a Bills Committee on April 12, 2019, the Government has actively co-operated with the Bills Committee for its work, including the presence of the team at the LegCo to prepare for attending the Bills Committee on its meeting dates and provision of detailed information to explain the Bill in response to the request of the legal adviser of the Bills Committee.
      
     Regrettably, despite the fact that the Bills Committee has been formed more than five weeks, it has not been able to operate properly. The Government team has not had an opportunity to explain and commence normal interactive discussion with members on the Bill at the Bills Committee.
      
     First of all, no chairman was elected after two meetings of a total of four hours on April 17 and 30, 2019, at which Hon James To was the presiding member. This situation was unprecedented.
      
     At its special meeting on May 4, 2019, the House Committee of the LegCo agreed to provide guidelines to the Bills Committee in accordance with the Rules of Procedure which specify that until the chairman of the Bills Committee is elected, Hon Abraham Shek, member of the Bills Committee, shall determine the date, time and place of the meeting(s) of the Bills Committee, and shall be responsible for presiding at the election of the chairman of the Bills Committee during the meeting(s).
      
     You should have all noted from the media reports that there were serious commotions, confrontations and physical scuffles at the meeting presided by Hon Shek on May 11, 2019, in pursuance to the House Committee's guidelines. A number of members were injured with several members subsequently making reports to the Police. There were again commotions and arguments at the meeting on May 14, 2019. No chairman was elected at both meetings presided by Hon Shek. On the two above-mentioned meeting dates, Hon To convened purported Bills Committee meetings at the same venue but at an earlier time. The commotions, confrontations and arguments at the two meetings have caused grave public concern, undermined the LegCo's solemnity and its reputation of bill scrutiny, and tarnished its public image.
      
     On May 16, 2019, eight members representing both sides met to discuss the matter. Members who had participated in the said meeting subsequently made public statements that the two sides remained at loggerheads. The side supporting to act in accordance with the House Committee's guidelines did not accept the legitimacy of the meetings convened by Hon To as Bills Committee meetings, while the other side insisted on its legitimacy. At the subsequent two-hour House Committee meeting on May 17, 2019, members had divergent views on the different options being raised, and no consensus could be reached on the way forward. 
      
     It has always been the Government's stance to assist LegCo pragmatically in scrutinising the Bill through the platform of a Bills Committee. This has been the normal procedure in scrutinising the bills.  Given the aforesaid circumstances, the current scrutiny of the Bill by the Bills Committee has become ineffectual and I do not see any way out of the present predicament. As there is time consideration for the Bill and after careful consideration, I had little choice but to make this difficult decision. I wrote today to the chairman of the House Committee, in accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure, for consideration in preparation for resumption of Second Reading debate on June 12, 2019. Meanwhile, we will continue to explain to various stakeholders on the Bill so as to enhance the public understanding of its content.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session at the Central Government Offices on Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 today (May 20):
 
Reporter: Mr Lee, as you said, this is a very difficult decision to make. I understand you talked about the time issue. But with Taiwan already repeatedly saying that they would not accept surrendering or asking for the suspect under the current situation, why do you insist that there is such an urgent need to table the bill to the full Council next month? And my second question would be, are you basically ignoring all the opposition to this? Or are you actually taking the Liaison Office's open rallying for support of this bill as a backup that you have indeed actually the support of society at large for this bill to pass? Thank you.       
 
Secretary for Security: I think I have repeatedly explained to you and members of the public about the legal vacuum regarding the law to deal with a request for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters or surrender of fugitive. Because the law at present does not apply to Taiwan, so simply we do not have any law to deal with the request, so what the proposal intends to do is to create the law so that we have a legal basis to go ahead, to try to make the suspect face the justice he deserves to face. We will be making every possible effort to let Taiwan understand that we have to create the law so that we can offer the assistance which they have asked for at a very early stage. We will do it with respect. We will only look at the case details and talk about the legal matters as well as the subsequent arrangements to hand over the person to Taiwan so that he will face the justice he should face.             
 
     I have also noted that the Taiwan side has indicated that they also believe that a suspect should face the justice that he should face. And also that the door is always open for negotiation for mutual legal assistance matters, so with that in mind and the aim of justice are being one of the main reasons why we make the proposal. I want first of all to have the law to enable us to do it. And then we will be trying all our best to work towards the goal of ensuring that the suspect faces the justice he deserves.  
 
     We understand that on the government bill, different people have been expressing different opinions about the government bill. There are those who support and there are those who disagree. I think it is every people's rights to express their view. And the Central Government of course has supported the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) to go ahead with matters that are in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong, so ensuring that things that need to be done should be done, and there is policy that needs to be made should be made, and there are laws that need to be created to be created. And it has often been the stated stance that the Central Government supports HKSARG to administer Hong Kong in accordance with the law.           
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the opening ceremony of the new Facebook office in Hong Kong today (May 20):
 
     Let me say a few words in English. First of all, this expansion is more than a physical expansion. It is a vote of confidence in Hong Kong's future, for which we are most appreciative, point number one.
 
     You set a shining example for others as well, not only in investment but also in how you really look after your employees. This new office is employee-friendly, its excellent environment with panoramic view reserved for your employees, not for the bosses, right? That means you really take care of your staff. It provides a caring environment, showing how you look after your staff's welfare, not just productivity. You feed them well at no cost to them which is amazing. I hope the Government can follow suit and do the same thing. Also, you've been extremely compassionate. You provide mothers' room and a private little "電話粥" area, so they can have privacy, and the flexi work hours are attractive. All these really reflect the modern thinking of a caring and compassionate employer, while you encourage productivity, creativity and innovation. This is all Facebook is about – building community and bringing the world closer together.
 
     I also want to pay tribute particularly to Facebook not only for this investment here. You are building a cross-Pacific submarine cable, providing more fibre optic capacity between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles section will come on stream in the third quarter of this year and then the second bit will come next year. So by time the two cables are commissioned, it will enhance tremendously the total capacity of our external submarine cables and bring Facebook to a new height.
 
     Meanwhile, Hong Kong puts a lot of emphasis on innovation technology. It ranks very high on our policy agenda. In the last 23 months, we've invested $100 billion into innovation technology. We are doing our very best to put Hong Kong on the IT map, and in fact, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development will strengthen Hong Kong's IT development so that the Greater Bay Area will be Wall Street plus Silicon Valley in the future. This is also what Hong Kong's long-term future is all about. But after all, we rely much on Facebook in our daily life because you are such an important medium of communication, bridging the digital divide and also contributing to our society, assisting the underprivileged and strengthening people-to-people connection.
 
     On this note, I just want to say thank you very much indeed, Dan (Vice President of Asia Pacific at Facebook, Mr Dan Neary) and Jayne (Vice President and Head of Greater China at Facebook, Ms Jayne Leung) and your team, your winning team – your very young team averaging 24 years old – that's amazing. I wish you all the very best and brilliant future. When I visit you next time, you'll be expanding into the sixth floor. Thank you so much.

        

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (May 20) investigating a case of severe paediatric influenza B infection, and reminded members of the public who have not yet received seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2018-19 season that they can still receive it for personal protection against seasonal influenza.

     The case involves a 9-year-old girl with good past health, who has presented with fever and cough since May 13 and developed shortness of breath on May 17. She was taken to St Teresa's Hospital for medical attention on May 17 and was subsequently transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of Queen Mary Hospital for further management on the same day.

     Her nasopharyngeal aspirate tested positive for influenza B virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza B infection complicated with shock. She is now in a critical condition.

     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had not received seasonal influenza vaccination for the current season and had no travel history during the incubation period. Her younger brother developed fever recently and has sought medical attention. He is in a stable condition and no hospitalisation was required. Her other home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far.
 
     The CHP's investigations are ongoing.

     "Although the winter influenza season has ended, members of the public aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications, who have not yet received seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2018-19 season can still receive it for personal protection against seasonal influenza," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "Meanwhile, the public should continue to adopt strict personal, hand and environmental hygiene practices against respiratory illnesses and other infectious diseases," the spokesman added.

     The public may visit the CHP's influenza page and weekly Flu Express for more information.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (May 20) that it has signed Contracts for Procurement cum Management, Operation and Maintenance of New Generation of Parking Meter System with a joint venture between Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited and Flowbird. The joint venture will be responsible for replacing existing parking meters in the territory and managing, operating and maintaining the new generation of parking meters.
 
     The duration of the contracts is 11 years with a total contract sum of $682 million, including one year for system development and 10 years for management, operation and maintenance services.
 
     The TD conducted an open tender in October 2018. By the tender closing date on December 21, 2018, tender submissions from a total of six companies had been received. After thorough assessment, the joint venture was selected for the award of the contracts.
 
     The new generation parking meter system is one of the Smart Mobility initiatives set out in the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong. The new parking meters will support multiple payment means including remote payment through mobile applications, be equipped with vehicle sensors to detect whether a parking space is occupied, and provide real-time information to assist motorists in finding vacant parking spaces.
 
     The TD, in collaboration with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, will start development works for the new generation parking meter system with the joint venture as soon as possible, with a view to commencing the installation of the new parking meters by phases from early 2020 and completing the replacement of all existing parking meters in the territory in early 2022.
 
     Furthermore, the TD will conduct a tender for Fee Collection Service Providers by mid-2019 for the provision of parking fee collection and settlement services. The tender exercise aims to encourage interested parties to propose diversified payment means, including using the Faster Payment System, to facilitate the payment of parking fees. The payment means adopted for the new parking meters eventually will be subject to the results of the tender.
 
     At present, some 9 700 parking meters accepting only Octopus cards for payment of parking fees are installed in the territory to control 18 000 on-street parking spaces. These parking meters, which have been in use since 2003-04, will soon approach the end of their serviceable life and need to be replaced. In addition to replacement of existing parking meters, the TD will identify additional road-side parking spaces with the installation of the new generation parking meters, in order to meet parking needs in various districts.