Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for a deliberate and unfounded report on Lai Chee-ying’s health condition in an attempt to fabricate facts to mislead the public by intentionally portraying him as a victim to cover up his offences and conviction by the court.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the court’s verdict was entirely free from any political considerations, noting that reasons for the verdict, including the court’s analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence, are fully open for public inspection.

The court’s verdict is well-founded and reasoned, fully demonstrating that its decision was made strictly in accordance with the law and evidence and free from any interference, the statement said.

The court clarified that Lai Chee-ying’s only intent, whether pre or post National Security Law, was to seek the downfall of the Communist Party of China, even though the ultimate cost was the sacrifice of the interests of the citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong.

Additionally, the court found that Lai Chee-ying was the mastermind of the conspiracies charged in all three counts, and his actions showed his intent to pursue these conspiracies, which constituted a threat to the national security in the PRC and the city, the statement added.

The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable, noting that Article 5 of the security law and section 2 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance clearly state that the principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security.

Any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a privilege to break the law, and is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law, it added.

The statement dismissed the claims regarding Lai Chee-ying’s health condition as reported by BBC, noting that the Hong Kong SAR Government has repeatedly insisted that the Correctional Services Department (CSD) handled the custodial arrangements for him in the same manner as other persons-in-custody.

It said that Lai Chee-ying has received adequate and comprehensive medical attention. All correctional facilities, equipped with hospitals or sick bays, maintain 24/7 staffing by medical officers seconded from the Department of Health and correctional staff with professional nursing qualifications.

The Hospital Authority and the Department of Health’s medical specialists visit correctional institutions regularly to give persons-in-custody specialist consultation and treatment, including dental treatment. Those with dental health issues are referred to dental specialists, and in serious cases are transferred immediately to a public hospital for treatment, the statement added.

The statement noted that during the public court hearing in August 2025, the senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying informed the court that he had consistently received appropriate treatment and care in prison.

The statement said that daily medical check-ups were arranged for Lai Chee-ying, and he raised no complaints about the care he received. Consequently, the court commended the CSD for its medical arrangements.

On December 15, 2025, when the court handed down its verdict, the senior counsel representing him stated in response to questions from the media that everyone in the court could clearly see his health condition, the statement added.

The CSD provided dental treatment for Lai Chee-ying in 2021 and 2022 based on his needs. Since then, Lai Chee-ying has had no dental health problems and has made no further requests for dental treatment, the statement noted.

Separately in 2025, Lai Chee-ying notified the CSD of problems with his fingernails. However, he fully recovered after treatment with ointment prescribed by the institution’s medical officer, with no loss of fingernails as alleged in the media reports, the statement added.

In August 2025, before the public hearing, the CSD arranged for him to wear a cardiac monitoring device and prescribed heart medication for heart palpitations, to be used as needed. The statement emphasised that since then, Lai Chee-ying has made no further complaints to the department about his heart palpitations.

The statement stressed that the allegations made by Lai Chee-ying’s daughter and relevant media reports, including those by BBC, are completely baseless.

The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that individuals with ulterior motives, including Lai Chee-ying’s family members and certain media, have ignored the facts and continue to spread lies and engage in despicable acts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Process Review Panel (PRP) for the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) today (December 31) published its annual report covering the work of the PRP in 2024-25.

     The PRP Chairman, Ms Miranda Kwok, said, “In 2024-25, the PRP reviewed 60 completed or closed cases under various areas of the work of the SFC. The PRP concluded that the SFC has carried out the work in accordance with its internal procedures. It also made a number of observations and recommendations to the SFC, which will be conducive to the SFC’s continuous enhancement of procedures and guidelines.

     “We are thankful to the SFC for its co-operation and support in facilitating the work of the PRP, and are pleased to note the positive response of the SFC to the PRP’s recommendations”, she added.

     The annual report has been uploaded onto the website of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (www.fstb.gov.hk/fsb/en/business/prp/afsreport.html).

     The PRP welcomes views of the public and market participants on the PRP’s work. They may express their views by sending an email to the PRP (prp@fstb.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 31) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 6 200 food samples tested (including food items purchased online) were found to be satisfactory except for three unsatisfactory samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.

A CFS spokesman said that about 1 800 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 4 400 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.

The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation-level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.

The samples comprised about 1 700 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 400 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 900 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 900 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1 600 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

The three unsatisfactory samples comprised a prepackaged pistachio paste sample suspected to be contaminated with aflatoxin; a bighead carp sample found with malachite green; and a cut fruits sample found with Salmonella.

The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples, including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items, and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

Separately, in response to the Japanese Government’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the CFS will continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food, and make reference to the risk assessment results to adjust relevant surveillance work in a timely manner. The CFS will announce every working day on its dedicated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/daily_japan_nuclear_incidents.html) the radiological test results of the samples of food imported from Japan, with a view to enabling the trade and members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs detected a suspected smuggling case involving an ocean-going vessel on December 23. A batch of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $7 million was seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with a suspicious container scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Malaysia via an ocean-going vessel being selected for inspection.

Customs inspected the abovementioned container that was declared as carrying metals, server boards, printed circuit boards, hard drives, wires, etc, on December 23. Upon examination, Customs officers found a batch of suspected smuggled goods, including integrated circuits, resistors and heat sinks, in the container.

An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.

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 upon conviction.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Donald Ng, today (December 31) expressed profound sadness at the passing of a Workman II, Ms Li Haiying, and offered his deepest condolences to her family.

Ms Li was carrying out street cleansing duties this afternoon in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei. While transporting refuse to the junction of Waterloo Road and Ferry Street, she was knocked down by a goods vehicle. She was sent to hospital and later certified dead, aged 57. Investigation by the Police is under way.

Ms Li was under the Yau Tsim District Environmental Hygiene Office and was mainly responsible for street cleansing work.

Mr Ng said, “Having joined the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) for over nine years, Ms Li served the public with dedication and perseverance. I am deeply grieved at the loss of such a devoted colleague. On behalf of all our colleagues, I offer the deepest condolences to her family.”

The FEHD will maintain close contact with Ms Li’s family and provide all appropriate support and assistance to help them through this difficult time.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​The Government announced today (January 1) that following an open recruitment exercise, Mr Francis Chan Wing-on will take up the appointment as the Commissioner of Critical Infrastructure (Computer-system Security) for a three-year term with effect from today. The appointment is made by the Chief Executive in accordance with the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Ordinance (Cap. 653) (the Ordinance).

     A Government spokesperson said, “Mr Chan possesses outstanding cybersecurity expertise, international vision, law enforcement experience and strategic management capabilities, along with excellent leadership, management and communication skills. He will lead the Commissioner’s Office under the Security Bureau to safeguard the security of computer systems of critical infrastructures in Hong Kong.”

     Mr Chan is the former Chief Superintendent of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force and has served as the Chairperson of the INTERPOL Cybercrime Expert Group. After retiring from the Police in 2020, he has taken up managerial roles related to computer systems and cybersecurity in the private sector. He has been serving as the Assistant Director (Critical Infrastructure) of the Security Bureau since May 2024.

     The Ordinance, which comes into effect today, provides a comprehensive legal framework to safeguard the security of computer systems of critical infrastructures in Hong Kong, regulate operators of critical infrastructures and investigate and respond to relevant computer-system security threats and incidents. The Commissioner of Critical Infrastructure (Computer-system Security) will head the Commissioner’s Office, which is established on the same day, to implement and enforce the statutory regime of the Ordinance, including designating “operators of critical infrastructures” and “critical computer systems”, as well as monitoring their compliance with statutory obligations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (January 1) that the public healthcare fees and charges reform is now officially in effect, marking a new chapter in HA’s sustainable development. Since January 1 midnight, all HA systems have successfully switched to the new fees and charges mode, with operations at public hospitals running smoothly. The HA will continue to closely monitor hospital operations and deploy additional manpower to provide immediate assistance to those in need, ensuring smooth service delivery.

     The reform took effect at midnight, with all public hospital systems, including patient registration, payment, and clinical systems, successfully switching to the new fees and charges mode. The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, and the HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, visited Kwong Wah Hospital at midnight to observe the implementation of the new charging mode and the transition process. They also communicated with all clusters through video conferencing to ensure implementation and support measures were in place.

     The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, said, “The successful implementation of the reform marks a significant milestone in our public healthcare system. The reform will enhance protection for poor, acute, serious and critical patients, enabling sustainable development of public healthcare services to meet the challenges posed by Hong Kong’s aging population. We especially thank all staff for their co-operation in implementing the reform and patients for their understanding of the new arrangements. The HA will continue to implement various measures to enhance patient protection and improve public healthcare services.”

     Accident and Emergency departments (A&E), which operate 24 hours a day, are among the first clinical departments to implement the new fees and charges arrangements. The HA has adopted flexible arrangements, allowing a small number of patients who completed registration just after midnight to pay the old fees. The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, said, “After the New Year holiday, many clinical departments in public hospitals will resume normal services. We have deployed additional manpower, including service ambassadors, dedicated teams, and volunteers to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient inquiries, assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers. Hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics have also set up information counters where dedicated staff provide on-site responses to public inquiries.”

     The HA will closely monitor operations at all hospitals. Meanwhile, patients are reminded that with the official implementation of the new fees and charges arrangements (Annex), some medical service procedures may be modified. Each hospital cluster has set up hotlines (see table below) for patients to inquire about the reform arrangements. Patients can also visit the HA website for related information.

     The HA emphasises that with the comprehensive implementation of the reform measures, an enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism has also been introduced. Over 50 000 patients have already submitted advance applications or filed enquiries, with the majority of applications processed. Eligible patients will gradually receive their medical fee waiver certificates, enabling them to have fee waivers granted at their next follow-up consultation. The HA has established dedicated teams to assist patients with fee waiver applications and will increase manpower to shorten processing times.

     During the transition period from January to March, patients requiring immediate or urgent treatment, who cannot afford medical expense at the public sector, but cannot provide complete documentation for financial assessment, will be granted “conditional waivers” for full or partial medical fees. Patients need only submit relevant documents within three months to receive official medical fee waiver certificates upon passing the assessment.

     Patients currently holding medical fee waiver certificates (full or partial), can continue using them until expiry without reapplication. Patients with partial fee waiver certificates who qualify for full waivers under the enhanced mechanism can obtain full waivers by declaring no significant change in financial status at Medical Social Services Units three months before appointments or within three months after hospitalisation, without requiring reassessment. The validity will be the same as the original certificate’s expiry date.

     In addition to enhancing the medical fee waiver mechanism, the HA has established a second safety net by introducing an annual cap of $10,000 on medical service charges (excluding self-financed items). This expanded safety net aims to help citizens reduce the heavy financial burden of medical expenses arising from unexpected serious illnesses or chronic conditions. Furthermore, the HA will strengthen the healthcare protection of critically-ill patients. This includes accelerating the introduction of more effective innovative drugs and devices, and relaxing the eligibility criteria of means test for the safety net applications, so that more middle-income patients can receive subsidy for self-financed drugs and devices. Patients currently receiving partial subsidy will also be able to access increased support. During the implementation of fees and charges reform measures, the HA will adhere to the principle that the Government’s commitment to public health will remain unchanged. All gains from the reform will be wholly utilised for public healthcare services.

     The HA emphasises that it has increased manpower to assist patients in need with fee waiver applications and other enhanced protection measures, ensuring that no citizen will be denied appropriate medical care due to financial difficulties. With all enhanced patient protection measures in place, the number of beneficiaries will increase significantly from the current 300 000 to approximately 1.4 million. Together with about 600 000 Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and holders of Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme Level 0 vouchers who will continue to receive full fee waivers, it is estimated that around 2 million people will benefit in total, substantially strengthening patient protection.
 
Hotlines for Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform
 

Clusters	Hotlines
Hong Kong East Cluster	6460 4303
Hong Kong West Cluster	2255 4177
Kowloon Central Cluster	3506 7198
Kowloon East Cluster	5215 7326
Kowloon West Cluster	3467 7575
New Territories East Cluster	6273 3551
New Territories West Cluster	2468 5353

Service hours: January 2-11, 2026, 8am to 8pm

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (January 1) expressed his profound sadness over the passing of a Workman II of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Ms Li Haiying, and extended his sincere condolences to her family.

     While carrying out street cleansing duties last night in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, Ms Li was knocked down by a goods vehicle. She was subsequently sent to hospital and certified dead. 

     Mr Tse said, “On behalf of the Environment and Ecology Bureau, I offer the deepest condolences to Ms Li’s family. We will provide all appropriate support and assistance to the family.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government announced today (January 1) that the Chief Executive has made appointments and reappointments to the four Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) advisory committees, namely the Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC), the Operations Review Committee (ORC), the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR), and to the ICAC Complaints Committee (ICC). All of the appointments and reappointments are for a term of two years with effect from January 1, 2026. 

ACOC 
CPAC      
     Mr Choi is the Managing Director of the Urban Renewal Authority. He is also a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board.
      
     The CPAC receives and calls for reports from the ICAC about practices and procedures of government departments, public bodies and the private sector which may be conducive to corruption. It also advises the Commissioner on what areas should be examined and the degree of priority to be accorded to each.     
     The Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Simon Ho Shun-man as the Chairman of the CACCR. Miss Pinky Lau Pik-yiu, Dr James Wong Kong-tin, Miss Jenny Yung Ching-yi and Ms Cally Kwong Mei-wan have been reappointed as members of the CACCR. Dr Kalwan Kwan Ming-tak has been appointed as a new member of the Committee. 
      
     Dr Kwan is the Honorary Lecturer of the Department of Sociology of the University of Hong Kong.        
     The Chief Executive has reappointed Executive Council Member Dr Lam Ching-choi as the Chairman of the ICC. Legislative Council (LegCo) Member Miss Grace Chan man-yee and Mr Lau Chun-hung have been reappointed as members of the ICC.  LegCo Members Mr Chan Hok-fung and Ms Judy Chan Kapui, and Ms Irene Chow Man-ling have been appointed as new members of the ICC.
      
     Mr Chan works in the banking industry. He is also a Non-executive Director of the Urban Renewal Authority.      
     The Government extends its sincere appreciation to all outgoing members whose terms of office expired after December 31, 2025. Their valuable contributions to the work of the respective committees are greatly appreciated.
      
     The updated non-official membership lists of the four ICAC advisory committees and the ICC are in the Annex.