Sam Hou Fai, the presumptive new chief executive (CE) of Macao, held his third community visit yesterday morning, touring the Inner Harbour neighbourhoods of Praça de Ponte e Horta, Rua do Almirante Sérgio, and Barra.
According to multiple media reports, the 62-year-old former judge spoke about his affinity with the area and said he was upbeat about the Inner Harbour’s future development, noting that traffic and flooding issues will subside once the ongoing flood prevention and sewage projects wrap up next year.
During the event, Sam spoke to business owners and residents to gather their opinions and hear their concerns. One business owner that he spoke to was the owner of the well-known Restaurante Litoral, Manuela Ferreira, who told Sam that her business was improving, although it was still being adversely impacted by the ongoing road work, which prevented taxis from stopping nearby.
Other local store owners expressed similar sentiments, with one telling local media that tourists had less of a desire to visit the Inner Harbour district, as it “looks like a construction site.”
[See more: Sam Hou Fai critiques Macao’s shortcomings at his first town hall meeting]
During a press conference after the visit, Sam noted that such neighbourhood visits are vital to enhancing his familiarity with local needs. “It’s totally different from the field of my previous work. The visits make up for my lack of understanding of the community in the past thirty years from 1994 to now,” he frankly admitted.
Sam vowed to further improve communication and collaboration with the city’s different sectors as the CE, adding he would “examine the deficiencies of society.”
On the question of whether he intends to hold another community Q&A session, the former judge said he didn’t have such plans for the time being, as his schedule was tight and he still had plans to visit other neighbourhoods. He encouraged residents to send their opinions and feedback via his various channels.
Sam has so far made four community visits around Macao’s neighbourhoods. His first and second walkabouts were held in the Northern District and the San Kio area. This morning, the politician made his fourth trip, stopping around various parts of Taipa. Speaking to the media, Sam pointed out the need for more leisure spaces on the island and improvements in the public transport system.
Sam is the only candidate in Macao’s CE election this Sunday.
