The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman.

     The inaugural International Ombudsman Summit 2024, hosted by the Office of The Ombudsman, Hong Kong, was held today (December 3). The Summit coincided with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Office. To celebrate this important milestone, the 35th Anniversary Reception was also held this evening.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the Closing Ceremony of the Summit and the 35th Anniversary Reception Ceremony. The Deputy Commissioner, National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, Mr Li Zijun; the Director-General of International Cooperation Department, National Commission of Supervision, Mr Cai Wei; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Liu Guangyuan; and the Ombudsman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, Mr Jack Chan, also officiated at the Anniversary Reception Ceremony.

     Speaking at the Anniversary Reception, Mr Lee commended the Office for working tirelessly to ensure a fair, efficient and accountable public administration. Furthermore, Mr Lee was pleased to see the Office's global presence, including in the International Ombudsman Institute and the Asian Ombudsman Association and its notable efforts in telling the good stories of Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" principle. 

     The 35th Anniversary Reception received an overwhelming response. Apart from around 140 overseas and Mainland participants from about 40 countries from six continents including international ombudsmen, senior officers and international bodies' representatives. About 230 guests, including members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, senior government officials, chairpersons of chambers of commerce, and local professionals and academics, have joined the event.  

     With the belief to further enhance quality public administration, the Office has, at the Anniversary Reception, exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation with representatives from eight countries and regions across five continents, witnessed by the Chief Executive. They include Ontario, Canada, and Hawaii, the US, in North America; Curaçao in South America; Slovakia in Europe; Indonesia, Korea and Macao in Asia; and Zambia in Africa. The signing ceremony was held at noon today at the Summit venue. The First Vice President of the International Ombudsman Institute, Mr Mohamed Benalilou, and the President of the Asian Ombudsman Association, Mr Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, were also present to witness this important moment.

     Mr Chan said, "Signing the Memorandum of Understanding can foster professional knowledge and information exchange, build long-term partnerships, and demonstrate Hong Kong's distinctive advantage of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world and our important role as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder'." 

     Underscoring the significance of the Summit and the celebration activities to his Office, Ombudsman Chan said, "Thirty-five years ago, the Office of The Ombudsman embarked on a vital mission to promote administrative fairness, accountability, and transparency. Today, we stay committed to our calling and hold steadfast to the core values that have been guiding us to go from strength to strength. We pursue to provide better and more appropriate public services and bring about a stronger sense of happiness and fulfilment among members of the public."

     On the day following the Summit and the 35th Anniversary Reception, i.e. December 4 (Wednesday), overseas guests will join an array of social and cultural programmes arranged by the Office, including a visit to the Legislative Council and the City Gallery, the Hong Kong Geopark Tour, city walk in Central and Mid-Levels, Wing Chun wellness workshop, Hong Kong Tram ride and night horse racing entertainment. These activities provide excellent opportunities for them to experience the exceptional charm of Hong Kong and its vitality and vibrancy as a dynamic city.

     For more information on the Summit and the anniversary celebration programmes, please visit the dedicated website: www.ios2024.ombudsman.hk. 

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the 12th Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2024 today (December 3):

Ms Catherine So (Chief Executive Officer of the South China Morning Post), Mr Daryl Ng (Deputy Chairman of the Sino Group), Mr Paulo Pong (Chairperson of the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards Judging Panel), Spirit of Hong Kong Awards judges and nominators, awardees and finalists, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     Good evening. I'm delighted to be here, once again, for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, the 12th edition. 

     Tonight's awards are unlike most prize ceremonies. This evening, we pay tribute not to the most celebrated or gifted at one thing or another – not to research or creative excellence in a given category – however much we certainly need, and count on, such remarkable individuals. 

     The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards honours those who exemplify Hong Kong's can-do spirit. The winners and finalists with us this evening, are not, for the most part, celebrities. They are ordinary people, doing extraordinary things. And doing them for the people of Hong Kong.

     We have been particularly blessed with such people this year – everyday individuals, imbued with the spirit of altruism and civic pride. Nominations, I'm pleased to say, have more than tripled for this year's Awards. 

     The individuals behind the nominations are helping so many Hong Kong people, in so many ways. They make a profound difference in areas ranging from health, education, employment and the environment, to charities, community service, art, sports, culture and more. Much more. 

     We are proud that these remarkable individuals – all of you – call Hong Kong home. We are grateful, too, to be inspired by you, and happy today to honour you. 

     Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong, as you all know, is now ushering in a new era of transformation. We are witnessing changes in modes of business, in economic activities, in the social ladder, and in the dynamics of the lives of the people of Hong Kong, day in, day out. 

     In times like this, we look to selfless individuals to step up, to make a difference for their neighbours, and the greater community. For all of Hong Kong.

     To all our winners and nominees, you are role models for Hong Kong. I count on you to continue spreading your positive impact in society. I am confident that with your spirit, the spirit of Hong Kong, there is nothing Hong Kong can't accomplish – for our economy, for our community. For each other. 

     I am grateful to the organisers of the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, the South China Morning Post and the Sino Group. My thanks, too, to this year's prestigious panel of judges, whose selfless efforts reflect the spirit of Hong Kong. 

     My congratulations to the winners and finalists in this year's 10 categories. My thanks, as well, to the Hong Kong public, which voted for the Lion Rock People's Choice Award.
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will treasure this special evening. And I wish everyone a new year full of the spirit of Hong Kong. 

     Thank you.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Grantham Hospital (GH) made the following appeal today (December 3) regarding a patient leaving the hospital without notifying hospital staff:

     A 78-year-old female patient with dementia left the Geriatric Medicine ward of GH at around 4pm today without notifying hospital staff. Security guards were immediately deployed to search for the patient within the hospital compound and the vicinity, but could not locate the woman. The hospital is very concerned about the incident and immediately informed the patient's family, and asked the Police for assistance.

     The patient is about 1.54 metres tall, with grey and black hair and a medium body build. She was wearing a light blue long-sleeve jacket and dark pants when she left the hospital.

     GH has reported the case to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advanced Incident Reporting System. The hospital appeals to the public to contact Aberdeen Police Station at 3661 1614 if they know the whereabouts of the patient.

     The Maker in China SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Contest (MiC Global Contest) 2024 Final was held at Nansha, Guangzhou, today (December 3). Hong Kong representative teams achieved outstanding results. Among them, the next-generation photonic integrated circuits for future high-bandwidth optical links, sensing and computing by Kokoxili Photonics Limited and the all-scenario rapid testing platform against antimicrobial resistance by MicroFlow Innovation Limited were awarded Second Place and Third Place in the global contest, respectively.

     The Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, congratulated the award-winning Hong Kong teams. He said, "Representatives from Hong Kong have stood out among the winning teams from other regional chapters, with two teams being awarded Second Place and Third Place. This exemplifies Hong Kong's outstanding achievements and strong capabilities in innovation and technology (I&T) development. I firmly believe that the Hong Kong representative teams will continue to achieve more breakthroughs in I&T through their relentless efforts with the strong support of the MiC platform, thereby making greater contributions to the high-quality development of our country and Hong Kong."

     The MiC Global Contest Final 2024 featured winning teams from local contests in Hong Kong, Macao, Europe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, Korea, and Central and Western Asia. The awards received by Hong Kong representative teams are as follows:
 

 
     Participating teams will visit the I&T park in Nansha tomorrow morning (December 4) to promote their innovation projects to industry representatives in Mainland China.

     The MiC Global Contest is organised by the SME Development Promotion Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China and the China International Cooperation Association of SMEs. It is one of China's innovation and entrepreneurship contests at the state level with significant global influence. Maker in China SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Contest – Hong Kong Chapter (MiCHK) is an important platform for Hong Kong start-ups and SMEs to better integrate into the overall development of the country and expand their business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. Apart from representing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to join the MiC Global Contest Finals in Mainland China, winning teams can also gain business matching opportunities with a number of Mainland investors and enterprises, facilitating the establishment of their businesses in various cities in the Greater Bay Area. For more details about MiCHK, please visit makerinchina.hk/.

     Hong Kong Customs conducted anti-illicit cigarette operations in Tin Shui Wai, Kwai Chung and Yuen Long over the past week and detected two large-scale illicit cigarette smuggling cases. A total of about 15 million suspected illicit cigarettes and about 7,800 kilograms of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco with an estimated total market value of about $120 million and a duty potential of about $81 million were seized.
      
     In the first case, after an in-depth investigation, Customs on November 30 raided a logistics warehouse in Tin Shui Wai and seized about 5 million suspected illicit cigarettes from a batch of goods arriving from Malaysia en route to Australia via Hong Kong.
      
     In the second case, based on intelligence analysis, Customs yesterday (December 2) intercepted a 40-foot container arriving from Thailand, declared as carrying groceries, at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 10 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the container and arrested a 63-year-old male truck driver, who was suspected to be connected with the case. During the subsequent controlled delivery operation on the same day, Customs officers further seized about 7,800kg of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco at San Tin, Yuen Long, cracked down on a large manufactured tobacco storage centre and arrested four men aged between 32 and 40 who were suspected to be connected with the case, including the person in charge of the warehouse and three porters.
      
     Investigations of the two cases are ongoing.
      
     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis, and step up enforcement actions to combat cross-boundary illicit cigarette activities. Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).