‘SECRET MEETINGS’ MACAU’S CAR FLEET IN PARLIAMENT HOLDS STABLE BANGKOK Lawmaker Sulu Sou has filed By year-end, there were FLIES DRONES a complaint regarding what he 240,145 licensed motor IN BAD AIR claims to be ‘secret committee vehicles in Macau, about BATTLE meetings’ at the AL the same as last year P4 P5 P13 THAILAND FRI.01 Feb 2019 T. 14º/ 20º C H. 45/ 85% facebook.com/mdtimes + 12,000 MOP 8.00 3222 N.º HKD 10.00 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” AD UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY accusatION Chiang wins appeal, may be absolved P3 COURTS BLOOMBERG WORLD BRIEFS AP PHOTO INDONESIA’s volatile Mount Merapi volcano on the island of Java has unleashed a river of lava that flowed 1,400 meters down its slopes. BANGLADESH More than 5,000 Bangladesh workers who demanded higher wages have been fired by factory owners, and hundreds face police charges in the world’s second-largest garment export industry after China, an activist said yesterday. More on p12 AP PHOTO AFGHANISTAN A new U.S. watchdog report says Afghan Xi’s tough talk on security forces are shrinking, gaps in security are growing, and the Taliban are Taiwan backfires, as largely holding their own despite a surge in American bombing. P10 More on backpage Tsai support surges INSIDE 01.02.2019 fri th Anniversary 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO ditional speedboats and officers conducting inspections at the 120 fishing vessels return to said location. Additionally, the Bureau will strengthen supervi- sion to ensure that all passengers on vessels wear life jackets and Inner Harbor for CNY holiday that passenger overloading is avoided. Julie Zhu vessels are returning to Macau for In addition to safety issues, the holiday. the Marine Bureau will also take total of 120 fishing vessels Between Wednesday Feb. 6 and measures to maintain the clean Ahave temporarily returned to Saturday Feb. 9, the Bureau will water environment. Macau to spend the Chinese New deploy one tugboat and one spee- “We will regularly distribute sa- Year (CNY) holiday in the Inner dboat to the Inner Harbor in or- nitary bags, so that fishermen can Harbor, according to the Marine der to ensure safety in the area. put refuse into them. There will and Water Bureau. The Bureau is also setting up a also be ferries collecting trash,” Yesterday, the Bureau, together fire prevention separation zone to announced Lao, urging the fisher- with the Fire Services Bureau, make sure that when a fire inci- men to “never dump the trash Macau police authorities, and dent occurs, the fire’s spread can into the water. If we find anyone two associations from the fishing be prevented. dumping trash into the water, we sector visited the fishermen at the “It is easy for danger to arise in will issue a punishment.” Inner Harbor, where they distri- such a dense environment. We Furthermore, the Bureau revea- buted safety and hygiene promo- will arrange a 24-hour tugboat at led that in order to support the tional materials to the fishermen the center of the Inner Harbor as sustainable development of fishe- whose vessels have been ancho- [an] alert. When there is any su- ries, the SAR government provi- red. The activity was carried out dden occurrence, we can arrange des interest-free loans to fisher- in the hopes of preventing safety vessels [to coordinate],” said Lao men through a fisheries develop- risks during the holiday. Weng U, head of the Maritime ment and assistance fund. Each year, the water authority Service Division of the Marine Since the establishment of the calculates the number of fishing and Water Bureau. fund in 2007, there have been 213 vessels. The Marine and Water During the CNY holiday, the applications approved, amoun- Bureau believes that more fishing marine authority will provide ad- ting to MOP70 million. GAMING bling revenue of casino VIP rooms, according to a Money laundering report by TDM. Another year of fewer During a press conference prevention that took place yesterday, the association started by guidelines issued junket promoters noting that gambling reve- nue had generally declined HE Housing Bureau They should regularly HE Gaming Inspec- this month. Thas issued guideli- assess the risk of mo- Ttion and Coordination The new regulations on nes to prevent real esta- ney laundering and the Bureau (DICJ) has annou- smoking control inside ca- te agencies from launde- financing of terrorism BLOOMBERG nced the latest number of sinos are among the most ring money, according in relation to the tran- approved licensed junket important factors contri- an Official Gazette noti- sactions involved in the promoters in Macau, ac- buting to the revenue drop, ce. real estate intermediary cording to a dispatch pu- according the association. Real estate agents and business, and procedu- blished in the Official Ga- Association President agencies are required to res for intensive reviews zette. Lam Kai Kuong expres- follow the new guide- to identify individuals in In total, there are 100 sed that the full extent of lines during a transac- high-risk situations. junket promoters, consis- the new regulation’s im- tion. Agents and agencies ting of 90 companies and pact on the local gaming The agents and agen- are obligated to manage 10 individuals. industry has not been cies are obligated to and supervise a transac- In January 2018, there revealed yet, however, identify and verify the tion, fully understand a were 109 promoters (com- there are signs showing a contractor, the parties of customer’s past record, prised of 99 companies tendency towards a grea- interest involved in the in particular, the custo- and 10 individuals). When reviewing the appropria- tion, indicating increased ter influence. real estate transaction, mer’s sources of capital. comparing the number of te qualifications, funding supervision of the accoun- In addition, Lam men- and the property in cir- Large cash tran- junket promoters between sources and financial re- ting of junket promoters. tioned that accusations of cumstances of suspicion sactions involving this year and the previous sources of junket promo- Chan further revealed VIP room operators cove- of money laundering or MOP500,000 or more year, an 8.3 percent de- ters, and stipulating that that the DICJ had already ring for illegal smoking terrorist financing, or are considered high-risk crease can be calculated. a certain proportion of the instructed junket promo- inside VIP rooms is wi- when the authenticity of situations. Previously, the director shares must be held by a ters that had not registered thout ground. the documents provided Transactions involving of the DICJ, Paulo Martins Macau resident. correctly or had missed Lam noted that VIP rooms by the contractor is in overseas companies, Chan, revealed in Decem- It is expected that the bill registration to rectify this do not have the authority to doubt. trust companies, of- ber that the bureau was will enter legislative pro- by registering. The DICJ punish smoking behaviors, Agents and agencies fshore companies or reviewing the bill on the cedures after DICJ hears head also noted that the they can only verbally warn should also use docu- other companies with eligibility and regulation opinions from the Legal bureau will consider other smokers. Lam claims that ments and materials complex organizational of junket promoters. Affairs Bureau. measures when renewing operators do not have the from independent and structures are also con- The amendment con- In order to strengthen licenses if no rectification management rights over the reliable sources in order sidered high-risk situa- sideration for the bill in- the compliance of junket or registration is made. rooms, and that they have to ascertain and verify tions, with agents and cludes raising the entry promoters and gaming The Macau Junket Asso- to inform the gaming com- the identity of stakehol- agencies obligated to requirements for a junket operators, the government ciation expects an 8 to 10 panies to follow up on illegal ders involved in the identify and verify the promoter, in particular, included another regula- percent drop in the gam- smoking incidents. JZ transaction. parties concerned. 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, SECRETARY Juliana Cheang [email protected] PER MONTH Grace Yu, Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. Cheong, Jenny Lao-Phillips, João Palla Martins, Joseph ADDRESS Av. da Praia Grande, 599, Edif. Comercial Rodrigues, 12 Floor C, Cheung, Julie Zhu, Juliet Risdon, Lynzy Valles, Renato Marques, Richard Whitfield, Viviana Seguí MACAU SAR Telephones: +853 287 160 81/2 Fax: +853 287 160 84 DESIGNERS_Eva Bucho, Miguel Bandeira | ASSOCIATE CONTRIBUTORS_JML Property, MdME Lawyers, PokerStars, Advertisement [email protected] Thank You! Ruan Du Toit Bester | NEWS AGENCIES_ Associated Press, Bloomberg, Financial Times, MacauHub, MacauNews, For subscription and general issues: [email protected] | Printed at Welfare Printing Ltd +12,000 like us on facebook.com/mdtimes Xinhua | SECRETARY_Yang Dongxiao [email protected] SEND NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION AND PRESS RELEASES TO: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO fri 01.02.2019 th Anniversary MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER 澳聞 MACAU 3 COURTS Foundation ‘understands the public Scott Chiang may be absolved concern’ over of guilt after appeal victory subsidies The Macau Foundation (FM) Daniel Beitler he explained, adding that more The Court’s decision to “understands the public information would likely be re- uphold Chiang’s appeal will not concern regarding the way CTIVIST Scott leased today.