MSAR OUT OF EU TAX RECRUITMENT AGENCY BILL HAVEN ‘BLACKLIST’ SOON PASSES AMID CONCERNS OIL SPILL FROM Macau is soon to leave the tax The law was passed with 30 SUNKEN TANKER haven “blacklist,” as part of an votes in favor at the Legislative IS EXPANDING EU proposal to remove eight Assembly amid concerns over IN SEA out of 17 jurisdictions from it domestic helpers and tourists P4 P5 P11 WED.17 Jan 2018 T. 13º/ 22º C H. 45/ 85% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 8.00 2967 N.º HKD 10.00 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS RENATO MARQUES RENATO AP PHOTO Sulu Sou MYANMAR- BANGLADESH The two countries have agreed that they will try to complete the repatriation cases adjourned P2-3 FULL REPORT, EDITORIAL of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled from violence in Myanmar within two years, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday. More on p12 INDONESIA Authorities are struggling to contain a months-long outbreak of measles in easternmost Papua province that has killed dozens of children. AP PHOTO PHILIPPINES Glowing-red lava spurted in a fountain and flowed down the Philippines’ most active volcano yesterday in a stunning display of its fury that has sent more than 34,000 villagers fleeing to safety and prompted police to set up checkpoints to stop tourists from getting too close. SRI LANKA’s president has ordered the reinstatement of ban on women buying alcohol and being employed in places where the drinks are produced and sold. AP PHOTO GAMING PAKISTAN A Pakistani health official says a special Analysts divided over anti-polio drive has been launched in the country’s eastern Punjab province. VIP performance this year P4 More on backpage 17.01.2018 wed 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO editorial THE FIRST 120 DAYS Paulo Coutinho SULU SOU was elected as one of Macau’s 33 legislators approximately RULING AGAINST ONG RESOLUTION 120 days ago, but formally took up his seat in the Legislative Assembly A V just three months ago. In that time, the young democrat has developed judge at the Court of First court (see report on these pa- Yes we are and no we don’t. a reputation for breaking with tradition and unnerving the city’s politi- AInstance (TJB) decided ges). What came out of this first cal elite. Now he stands on the brink of expulsion from the legislature. to adjourn the trial of Sulu Indeed, as Jorge Menezes ar- hearing over an alleged offen- Here’s a look at his turbulent first 120 days: Sou (and Scott Chiang) sine gued, the cases are of a totally se of civil disobedience by the die pending a decision by different matter and it would two New Macau activists has the Court of Second Instance not be uncommon if all the ac- far larger political implications September 17 The night of the election. Dozens of young (TSI) over a request filed by tions run concurrently. that reaches Sou’s suspension activists gather at the New Macau Association the defendant with the TSI to Indeed, the cases are rela- and reverberates to Vong’s headquarters to await the results and find out suspend a deliberation made ted and therefore, as lawyer controversial draft resolution whether 26-year-old Sulu Sou has won a seat. by the Legislative Assembly Pedro Leal put it, it would be on parliamentary immunity. last month – namely, the ple- “a waste of time” if they conti- The debate and vote concer- September 18 It is officially confirmed that New Macau nary vote for the suspension of nue with the proceedings “and ning these topics was postpo- Progressives has won a seat in the Legislative the lawmaker’s mandate. even conclude the trial” of the ned for today by the AL. Assembly with a total of 9,212 votes. Sou says Interestingly enough, Judge criminal offense at the first The decision to adjourn by that he wants to see 100 percent of legislature Cheong Weng Tong of TJB instance if the second instance Judge Cheong implicitly says seats filled via direct elections and warns Chief Executive Chui Sai On not to “underesti- rejected the opinion of Sou’s rules in favor of the appeal. that the courts have the autho- mate the power of young people.” lawyer by stating loud and It is a conundrum, that the rity to scrutinize the legislative clear that the two cases are re- public prosecutor recognized branch actions and their com- October 16 The 33 elected lawmakers take their oaths at lated and therefore her court at the trial, “We are at a cros- pliance with the law. the government’s headquarters in the pres- cannot go ahead with the sroads here. We don’t know Judge Cheong just ruled out ence of the chief executive. The ceremony proceedings while an appeal what the decision of the TSI the Vong bill – in a first rea- passes without incident. stands at a higher instance will be.” ding. November 2 Sou irritates his fellow lawmakers by pledging to broadcast comments made in their closed- door meetings on social media. He follows through on this pledge on several occasions. LEGISlatIVE ASSEMBLY November 13 It emerges that Sou might have his man- date suspended via a vote in the Legislative Vote on ‘immunity resolution’ Assembly. The suspension will allow for his prosecutorial immunity to be lifted so that he may stand trial accused of “aggravated postponed for today disobedience” dating back to a 2016 demon- stration. ELIBERATIONS at the November 15 Sou calls on Chui to take more accountability DLegislative Assembly (AL) over the handling of Typhoon Hato during a on Vong Hin Fai’s ‘immuni- Legislative Assembly debate, in what becomes ty resolution’ and whether an embarrassing public episode for the chief lawmaker Sulu Sou’s suspen- MARQUES RENATO executive. sion should be regarded as a December 4 political act or not have been Lawmakers resolve to suspend Sou’s mandate postponed to today. with a secret ballot vote; 28 in favor and four against. Legislator Pereira Coutinho points out Yesterday’s AL agenda was several procedural irregularities with the vote. piled up with five issues, inclu- ding the establishment of the January 4 Sou appeals to the Court of Second Instance laws of Macau’s sea manage- to determine whether the irregular procedures ment and administration, the leading to his suspension were lawful. amendment of the regulations of civil servants’ holidays, and January 9 Sou is expected to begin his trial on aggravat- the immunity resolution in re- ed disobedience at the Court of First Instance, gards to Sulu Sou’s December 4 Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho but asks for a postponement while his new suspension. lawyer, Jorge Menezes, studies the case doc- Several lawmakers managed ty resolution seeks to classify all [need to] not interfere, res- uments and has them translated into Portu- to pose their questions regar- these suspensions as “political trict or damage the courts and guese. The postponement is approved. ding the amendment of civil acts”, barring administrative judges’ work as well as Macau’s servants’ work regulations, courts from ruling on whether judiciary system.” January 11 Lawmakers Vong Hin Fai and Kou Hoi In however, after a first round they – or presumably the pro- The immunity resolution con- submit their ‘immunity resolution’, which of questions, government re- cedures leading up to the deci- tains just two articles. The first seeks to classify suspensions as “political presentatives did not have sions – are lawful. states that “deliberations of the acts”, barring administrative courts from rul- enough time to answer all the Before yesterday’s AL com- Legislative Assembly that lead ing on whether they are lawful. The proposal lawmakers’ questions. menced, Vong claimed that to the suspension or loss of a is widely criticized by lawyers, political ana- Under these conditions, and Macau’s judiciary operation lawmaker’s mandate are acts of lysts and other lawmakers. given the potential for deba- will not be affected by the re- a political nature that are exclu- te over Sou’s suspension, the sults of the vote. ded from administrative, fiscal January 16 The Court of First Instance says it cannot rule on the charges of aggravated disobedience un- vote scheduled last on the AL’s Lawmaker José Pereira Cou- or customs appeal.” til the Court of Second Instance has handled agenda was postponed. tinho said, in his speech before The second article establishes Sou’s appeal. Meanwhile, lawmakers post- The last item of the agenda the agenda, that “I hope that we that the measure would have pone a detailed discussion on the immunity also resolved to discuss Vong all understand the importan- retroactive effects dating back resolution until today. DB Hin Fai’s controversial immu- ce of the independence of the to December 1999, when the nity resolution. The immuni- courts and the judges, and we MSAR was created. JZ www.macaudailytimes.com.mo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (DIRECTOR)_Paulo Coutinho [email protected] A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION MANAGING EDITOR_Paulo Barbosa [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Eric Sautedé, Leanda Lee, Severo Portela ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + 4 Million page views Kowie Geldenhuys [email protected] NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_Albano Martins, Annabel Jackson, Daniel Beitler, Emilie Tran, Grace Yu, SECRETARY Juliana Cheang [email protected] PER MONTH Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. 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