â€‹The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, met with representatives from the four civil service central consultative councils and the four major service-wide staff unions this afternoon (November 21) on the District Council (DC) election to be held on December 10. Representatives of the councils and unions all expressed that they will render full support to the DC election and continue to actively encourage civil service colleagues to vote with their families and friends, so as to bring forth new-term DCs that serve the public in a practical manner and improve their livelihood at the district level.
      
     Mr Chan said the DC election, as the first large-scale territory-wide election following improvements to the district governance system and reforms to the DCs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), is of utmost significance to the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" as well as the good governance of the HKSAR. He stressed that the civil service, as a key component of the HKSAR Government's governance system, plays an irreplaceable and important role in governing Hong Kong effectively and maintaining the stability and prosperity of the city. Civil servants shoulder the responsibility of implementing and supporting the HKSAR Government's policy initiatives, and should also lead by example by discharging the civic responsibility of casting their votes in the DC election.
      
     Noting that more than 30 000 civil servants will be expected to discharge electoral duties at different posts on the polling day, Mrs Yeung said they must work together to ensure that the election will be open, fair, honest, and conducted in a safe and orderly manner. Arrangements will be made for them to return to their respective constituencies during the day to cast their votes.
      
     Mr Chan and Mrs Yeung appealed to all civil service colleagues again to vote, together with their families and friends, on the polling day (December 10) in the hope of electing DC members with talent, aspiration and commitment to build a better community for Hong Kong.
      
     Registered electors can visit the DC election website (www.elections.gov.hk) for their respective constituencies and information of the candidates. The polling hours of DC geographical constituency ordinary polling stations on the polling day will be from 8.30am to 10.30pm.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Octopus Cards Limited relating to fraudulent websites, mobile apps and phishing messages. The relevant stored value facility (SVF) licensee has reported the case to the HKMA. 
      
     The fraudulent websites and mobile apps reported by the SVF licensee known at the time are as follows:
hkgift[.]octopoues[.]com
hktc[.]octoepus[.]xyz
hktc[.]octopluse[.]xyz
hktc[.]octopue[.]xyz
hktc[.]oetopus[.]xyz
hktc[.]otopousi[.]xyz
hkoctop[.]octoques[.]xyz
hkoctopus[.]octoques[.]xyz
hkoctop[.]com
ocshk[.]octopues[.]xyz
octopuses[.]xyz
octp[.]octopuses[.]xyz
octopues[.]com
octopusect[.]com
exuecsn[.]com/CSL[.]apk
 
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that anyone who has provided his or her personal information or account credentials, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites, mobile apps or messages concerned, should contact the relevant SVF licensee, and report to the Police or contact the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre of the Police at 18222.

     Police today (November 21) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tseung Kwan O.

     Wong Shing-kee, aged 76, went missing after he was last seen at MTR Tseung Kwan O Station last afternoon (November 20). His family made a report to Police on the same day.

     He is about 1.78 metres tall, 81 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt, a blue cotton vest, khaki trousers and white shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0331 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     â€‹Regarding the incident announced on November 7 where samples of pigs from a local pig farm were detected with African Swine Fever (ASF), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) launched a disposal operation on November 9 on the farm concerned. The operation was completed today (November 21).

     An AFCD spokesman said, "According to the contingency plan on ASF, the AFCD has sent staff to dispose of and handle a total of 5 624 pigs on the licensed farm in Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long, since November 9. The operation was completed today. All pigs disposed of and handled were sent to the West New Territories Landfill for dumping according to established procedures."

     The AFCD will continue to investigate and trace the source of the ASF virus with international experts, and keep local pig farms under close surveillance as well as conducting tests if necessary. The AFCD has also reminded all farmers to alert the Department immediately if any abnormal health condition is observed in pigs.

     The spokesman stressed that ASF is not a zoonotic disease and will not infect humans, hence does not cause any food safety risk. Pork cooked thoroughly is safe for consumption. Members of the public do not need to be concerned. The incident does not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses nor the overall supply of live pigs.

     The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) conducted today (November 21) a new round of market surveillance and publicity and education activities around Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po, and distributed pamphlets to members of the public and traders to remind them not to use, purchase or sell pre-paid SIM (PPS) cards from unknown sources or allegedly having completed real-name registration.

     "To raise public understanding of the Real-name Registration Programme (Real-name Registration Programme) for SIM Cards and ensure traders' compliance with the registration requirements, the OFCA conducts ongoing market surveillance and publicity and education activities to remind members of the public to complete real-name registration with their own original identity document, and not to purchase or resell registered PPS cards, with a view to protecting their own interests and avoiding any loss and criminal liability. Meanwhile, the OFCA urges traders not to assist any persons in using the identity document of any third party in completing real-name registration, and not to sell PPS cards allegedly having completed registration," a spokesman for the OFCA said.

     The spokesman added, "The OFCA has been maintaining close contact with telecommunications service providers, requesting them to strengthen the inspection of user information of the registered PPS cards. In case of any suspicious cases, they should promptly be referred to law enforcement agencies for follow-up. Up to the end of October 2023, in accordance with the legal requirements and relevant guidelines, telecommunications service providers had deregistered around 1 000 000 non-compliant PPS cards and rejected around 360 000 registration requests owing to the failure to provide information that meets the registration requirements. The OFCA will continue to request telecommunications service providers to enhance their registration platforms and strengthen sample checks of the registration information, including expediting the introduction of the Government's 'iAM Smart' application to verify the identity of the registrants."

     The spokesman emphasised that providing false information and/or false document under the Real-name Registration Programme may constitute a criminal offence. Depending on the nature of the act and proof of evidence, the applicable offences include obtaining services by deception under section 18A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) and/or using false instrument under section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200). In addition, any person who knowingly transfers PPS cards for illicit purpose may be liable for aiding and abetting the commission of the relevant offence under section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221).

     Under the Real-name Registration Programme, all SIM cards issued and used locally (including service plan SIM cards and PPS cards) must have their real-name registration completed before service activation. The OFCA will continue to carry out a series of monitoring and enforcement actions to ensure that telecommunications service providers and other relevant parties comply with the requirements of the law and relevant guidelines.

     Telecommunications service providers also conduct sample checks on the registration information from time to time. Upon the receipt of an SMS message from his/her telecommunications service provider using the designated sender address "SIMREG", the user subject to sample check must provide his/her own identity document again as soon as possible by following the instructions provided in the SMS message for verification of the registered information. If the user subject to sample check is unable to provide relevant information to complete the verification before the stipulated deadline, the relevant PPS card will be deregistered and cannot be used afterwards.

     For details of the Real-name Registration Programme, please visit the OFCA's website (www.ofca.gov.hk/simreg/en).