Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong is firmly committed to protecting the rights of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) and maintaining Hong Kong’s attractiveness for them to work, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, said in Indonesia today (January 21).

     In his meeting with the Minister of Manpower of Indonesia, Mr Hanif Dhakiri, during his visit to Jakarta, Dr Law noted that Indonesia is one of the largest FDH-sending countries for Hong Kong, and that Hong Kong families are thankful for the contributions of over 165 000 Indonesian domestic helpers (IDHs). They help relieve household chores and take care of the elderly and children, thereby unleashing the potential of the local labour force.

     Noting that Hong Kong is one of the few places that grant FDHs statutory labour protections that are on par with those enjoyed by local workers, Dr Law said he looked forward to strengthening collaboration with the Indonesian Government to further protect the rights of IDHs in Hong Kong. He welcomed more IDHs to work in Hong Kong in view of a soon-to-peak manpower supply and an ageing population.

     In addition, Dr Law met with representatives of the National Board for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers as well as the Association of Migrant Worker Placement Companies and exchanged views on the recruitment of IDHs and regulation of employment agencies (EAs).

     Following the enactment of the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 last year, the maximum penalties for overcharging job seekers (including FDHs) and unlicensed operation by EAs were substantially raised with a view to further protecting the interests of job seekers. Dr Law assured the Indonesian Government that a Code of Practice for EAs is in place to regulate the operation of EAs in Hong Kong. The Code states that EAs must not get involved in FDHs’ financial affairs or keep their passports without explicit consent.

     Speaking to the Indonesian media, Dr Law said that, to better protect FDHs from abuse, the Labour Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government would introduce an initial screening mechanism this year for early identification of FDHs suspected of being exploited. Enforcement against unscrupulous EAs will be stepped up. A round-the-clock dedicated hotline was launched in December 2018 with interpretation service (including Bahasa Indonesia) to provide one-stop support to FDHs.

     Speaking on other manpower issues, Dr Law added that a Talent List setting out 11 professions needed most for Hong Kong’s economic development was promulgated in August 2018, with a view to attracting worldwide talents including those from Indonesia and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to develop their careers in Hong Kong.

     During the day, Dr Law took the opportunity to call on the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Xiao Qian, to update him on recent developments in Hong Kong. He will also attend a dinner gathering with Hong Kong people doing business in Indonesia.

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     Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer who has won three Academy Awards for Best Cinematography in a row, uses his groundbreaking techniques to actualise the unrestrained imagination of different directors. The new programme “See No Frontiers: The Cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki”, presented by the Film Programmes Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will screen five notable works shot by Lubezki from February 16 to March 1 at the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) and the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Science Museum. Post-screening talks will also be held for all the screenings.
      
     Born into a Jewish family, Lubezki has a highly artistic background with his parents being actors and his father having served as a film producer as well. Lubezki studied film at Mexico’s Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos and has frequently collaborated with renowned directors including Alfonso Cuarón, Alfonso Arau, Terrence Malick and Alejandro González Iñárritu. In his cinematography career spanning more than 20 years, Lubezki has received eight Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, and he won the award in three consecutive years with “Gravity” (2013), “Birdman” (2014) and “The Revenant” (2015).
 
     “A Little Princess” (1995) was Lubezki’s first collaboration with a major Hollywood studio, and it earned him his first nomination for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards. The story features a little girl named Sara who is sent to a New York boarding school as her father has to fight in World War I. Sara’s non-conformist behaviour makes her popular among the students but is disapproved of by the headmistress. When the headmistress hears that Sara’s father has been killed, she makes Sara work as a servant. Though her situation is bleak, Sara remains kind to others by holding her belief that “all girls are princesses”. Lubezki teamed up with production designer Bo Welch to painstakingly recreate a Victorian school in all its nuances. The blend of green and brown provided a palette of emotions and evoked the tones of a storybook.
 
     Starring Will Smith, “Ali” (2001) portrayed the youthful passion of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali as a reflection of an era. While location scouting with a video camera, Lubezki was mesmerised by the beauty of black skin against the black sky, and he then posed his suggestion of shooting the film mainly in digital to Michael Mann, the director. In addition, Lubezki extensively used hand-held camera with or without Steadicam to film – the proximity of the camera put the spectators right inside the action, especially in the fight scenes. The montage of different angles and textures yields a novel form in itself. Lubezki occasionally overexposed his images to showcase the inherent colour of the lighting and setting, giving the film a prominent white tone.
      
     Lubezki created an illusion of an uninterrupted long take approach like that in Hitchcock’s “Rope” (1948) for director Iñárritu in “Birdman”. The film follows Riggan (Michael Keaton), who was once famous 20 years ago for playing Birdman and is now faded and trying to regain his popularity through a Broadway production directed and acted by himself. However, things don’t play out as he desired.
 
     “Last Days in the Desert” (2015) follows the 40-day journey of Yeshua alone in a desert and searching for the meaning of life. He seeks a conversation with God but Yeshua’s inner demon continues to upset his peace of mind. Using natural light to the extreme, Lubezki minimised the amount of lighting in the dark. Furthermore, Lubezki was able to recreate Yeshua’s desert sojourn in the Anza-Borrego Desert in California with his shooting equipment, filming the most poetic and mystical moments at dusk and dawn.
 
     “Song to Song” (2017), the fifth collaboration between Lubezki and director Malick, features a guerrilla filmmaking approach that captured spontaneity and reality concurrently. The film tells of the pursuits in music and love among guitarist Faye (Rooney Mara), music producer Cook (Michael Fassbender) and singer-songwriter BV (Ryan Gosling), and also features the appearances of numerous noted singers and bands thanks to shooting at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
 
     To complement the screenings, veteran cinematographers Henry Chung and O Sing-pui as well as directors Philip Yung, Chan Siu-kuen and Lee Cheuk-pan have been invited to be the guest speakers for seminars. The three seminars are entitled “The Art of Emmanuel Lubezki” (February 16, 4.45pm), “Their Heroes” (February 24, 4.30pm) and “A Brief Encounter of Hong Kong Style” (March 1, 9.10pm). All the seminars will be conducted at the Cinema of the HKFA in Cantonese with free admission.
 
     “Ali” is in English and French, while the other films are in English. “Song to Song” has Chinese subtitles, while the other films have Chinese and English subtitles.
 
     Tickets priced at $55 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/lubezki/index.html.  

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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients infected with Influenza A in a female ward of the Department of Medicine, the spokesperson for Quee… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

　　The spokesperson for the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) today (January 21) announced a sentinel event as follows:
 
　　A 40-year-old male patient was transferred from Shatin Hospital to PWH in the afternoon on January 19 due to respiratory distress and he was admitted to the surgical ward.
 
　　The patient underwent a bronchoscopy procedure at around 8.40pm. At 9.45pm, a doctor found a pair of blood-stained scissors and a letter to relatives next to the patient. The patient was unconscious and developed cardiac arrest. Resuscitation was immediately performed and four stab wounds were found on the patient’s left chest wall. The patient regained a heartbeat after resuscitation.
 
　　The patient’s family was contacted and notified of the incident. The patient finally succumbed and was certified dead at 11.39pm. The incident was reported to the Police and the case referred to the Coroner. The Hospital will co-operate in the follow-up investigation.
 
　　The Hospital is deeply saddened by the incident and will maintain close contact with the patient’s family to provide them with the necessary support. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System.
 
　　A Root Cause Analysis Panel will be set up to look into the incident and propose recommendations. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 21) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

Sex	Female
Age	24
Affected area involved	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
High-risk exposure	Nil
Hospital	Princess Margaret Hospital
Condition	Stable
MERS-Coronavirus preliminary test result	Negative

     “Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV),” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Locally, the CHP’s surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP’s Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization’s latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP’s health advice on MERS. read more