In response to media enquiries regarding the 2019 Rural Ordinary Election, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 2) replies as follows:

     Article 26 of the Basic Law stipulates that "Permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have the right to vote and the right to stand for election in accordance with law". The HKSAR Government all along respects and safeguards the rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents according to law, including the aforesaid rights to vote and to stand for election. At the same time, the HKSAR Government has a duty to implement and uphold the Basic Law and to ensure that all elections will be conducted in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant electoral laws.

     The constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR is very clear. Article 1 of the Basic Law points out that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Article 12 of the Basic Law states that the HKSAR shall be a local administrative region of the PRC, which shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy and come directly under the Central People's Government. Further, Article 159(4) of the Basic Law stipulates that no amendment to the Basic Law shall contravene the established basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong (i.e. Hong Kong should be a special administrative region of the PRC under the "one country, two systems" principle).

     "Self-determination" or advocating independence could be an option for Hong Kong is inconsistent with the constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Basic Law, as well as the established basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong.

     The HKSAR Government notes that the Returning Officers for the 2019 Rural Ordinary Election have made decisions on the nomination of candidates. The HKSAR Government supports the making of decisions on the validity of nomination by the Returning Officers in accordance with the law. The Returning Officers have the duty as well as power to make those decisions according to the relevant electoral laws.

     Regarding the Returning Officer's decision that the nomination of a candidate was invalid as he did not comply with section 24 of the Rural Representative Election Ordinance, the HKSAR Government agrees to and supports the decision by the Returning Officer.

     Decisions made by the Returning Officer aim to ensure that the Rural Election is held in strict accordance with the Basic Law and other applicable laws in an open, honest and fair manner. There is no question of any political censorship, restriction of the freedom of speech or deprivation of the right to stand for elections as alleged by some members of the community.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 1) seized about 30 kilograms of suspected European eels with an estimated market value of about $300,000 at Hong Kong International Airport.

     Two male passengers, aged 24 and 60, arrived in Hong Kong from Lisbon, Portugal, via Moscow, Russia yesterday afternoon.

     During Customs clearance, suspected European eels were found in their four check-in suitcases.

     The cases were handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up investigation.

     Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for ten years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 2) that Tsing Yi Southwest Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 8.30pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     Hong Kong Customs seized in total about 4.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $4.8 million at Hong Kong International Airport on November 30.

     A 77-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Madrid, Spain in the morning on November 30. During Customs clearance, 2.1 kilograms of suspected cocaine in two packets were found concealed inside the false compartment of his suitcase. The man was then arrested.

     In the afternoon of the same day, a 58-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Dubai, United Arab Emirates. During Customs clearance, 2.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine in three packets were found concealed inside the false compartment of his suitcase. The man was then arrested.

     The two arrested men were each charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. They will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 3).

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

    

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a joint laboratory of instrumentation for precision medicine between the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Harvard SEAS) today (December 2):
      
     Professor Zhang (President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU, Professor Zhang Xiang), Consul General Tong (Consul General of the United States to Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Kurt Tong), Dr Habbal (Executive Dean for Education and Research, Harvard SEAS, Dr Fawwaz Habbal), Professor Chao (Dean of Engineering of HKU, Professor Christopher Chao), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     Good afternoon. I am most delighted to join the ceremony today and see the forging of close partnership between two world-leading universities in conducting frontier research in Hong Kong.
      
     Since taking up the office of Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July last year, I have been putting personal attention and serious emphasis on developing innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong. I have strong faith in the scientific research capabilities of our local universities, as well as our ability to attract world-acclaimed universities and research institutes to collaborate with us and carry out forward-looking research projects that will benefit the humankind. Our time-tested legal system, robust protection for intellectual property and strong financial sector also lend an edge to Hong Kong in translating research and development (R&D) outcomes to business and employment opportunities.
      
     To complement our existing strengths, resource support from the Government is crucial.  Therefore, in the past year or so, I have allocated a total of HK$78 billion (US$10 billion) for I&T purposes. We have introduced a tax incentive to encourage private corporations to invest in R&D and a matching grant to induce private donors to support university research. Amongst the many initiatives introduced, I would say that there is one which could not be delivered simply by money, though we do set aside HK$10 billion (or US$1.3 billion) for that purpose. This is our ambition to establish in Hong Kong two research clusters – one is Health@InnoHK on healthcare technologies, and the other is AIR@InnoHK on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies-through collaboration between our local universities and renowned universities and research institutionsoutside Hong Kong. 
      
     I am glad to say that through our intensive reaching out as well as good cooperation already established by our universities with overseas universities, the global research community has warmed to our cluster initiative. Within a short period of time, quite a number of institutions and universities from outside Hong Kong are teaming up with local partners to join these clusters. We are working in full steam to have the first batch of laboratories established in the clusters starting from the latter half of 2019. In this regard, I am extremely delighted and encouraged to learn that the HKU Faculty of Engineering and Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are interested in conducting collaborative research on developing instrumentation for precision medicine in Health@InnoHK. I look forward to a great proposal coming out from such mutual interest and enthusiasm. My colleagues in the Innovation and Technology Bureau stand ready to facilitate.
      
     There is no doubt that a fervid I&T atmosphere has built up in Hong Kong. I do hope that the whole I&T value chain, all the way from benchside discovery to translational research, technology transfer and commercialisation, will create enormous opportunities and quality jobs for our young people. To attract more local young people to pursue R&D, all local students enrolled in research post-graduate programmes funded by the University Grants Council are now enjoying tuition fee waiver starting from the 2018/19 academic year. We have also launched two schemes for admitting and nurturing I&T talent earlier this year. The Technology Talent Admission Scheme provides a fast-track arrangement for admitting talent from outside Hong Kong, and the Technology Talent Scheme provides funding to recruit postdoctoral talent and train our workforce in advanced technologies.
      
     The HKSAR Government is committed to attracting world-leading research institutions to conduct collaborative research.  This afternoon, the signing of the MoU between the HKU Faculty of Engineering and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which signifies enhanced collaboration and cross-fertilisation in the research area of precision medicine in Hong Kong, is a very significant step in this endeavour. I wish the two universities great success in the collaboration. Thank you very much.