HK Government website suggests its residents to circumvent defunct Macau labour law
Getting married? Take a look! Going for vacation? Take a look! Wanna job in Macau … take a look again!
Macau people believe their government, and there’s no reason why Hong Kong residents shouldn’t believe theirs. With truly unbelievable results.
The Interactive Employment Service of the Labour Department of Hong Kong has published the “Guide for Hong Kong People who Plan to Work in Macao” which does a better service to Hong Kong residents, than a myriad of all Macau employment agencies combined. How is that possible? By simply not doing anything.
If you take a closer look at Macau’s existing labour legislation, you’ll quickly find out that you don’t really need to do anything. Forget the blue card or an antiquated labour contract. A tiny three-line clause in the Article 4 of the infamous Ordinance n.ยบ 17/2004, designed to prohibit illegal employment, opens wealth of opportunities to anyone willing to explore it.
“Macao SAR stipulates that, non-Macao residents are allowed to take up occasional and specific type of work which are instructive, technical, quality controlling, business auditing in nature, or relating to religion, sports, academic, culture and art, for not more than 45 days during their half-year stay in Macao.”
Needless to say, you can hardly find a Hong Kong resident these days who won’t be apt to do “instructive, technical or quality controlling” jobs. They’ve been doing it for years anyway. And who on Earth would control their days of stay or days of work in Macau? We only have a thirty-strong army of labour inspectors.
Just make your work “specific” enough and keep it “occasional”, which you can do very successfully by heading home on weekends, and you can go on for years. Don’t forget to bring along a nice plastic badge with a neck strap and fix yourself a scary English title that’s not easily translatable into either of Macau official languages. Done.
It’s not just Hong Kong residents who would benefit from this comprehensive and user-friendly guide. Local residents who don’t read either of Macau’s official languages must also be grateful for finally being able to have the “all you need to know” information about Macau employment, in one place and in plain English. At least Hong Kong government doesn’t need to hide away behind the curtain of official languages trying to cover up for incompetence under the spotlight of international exposure.
Last word of caution: even if you are technically a foreigner, don’t forget to bring your Hong Kong ID card … to enjoy the benefit of doubt.
If this still sounds unbelievable to anyone, just try once in a lifetime to leave the comfort of your car, get on your feet and take a slow walk around Macau. With your eyes open.
28 December 2007
23 December 2007
China's official anti-corruption website goes down under the heavy traffic of incoming complaints
The website of China's new anti-graft bureau crashed shortly after going online due to the huge volume of messages from the public complaining about rampant corruption, state media said Wednesday.
The website (yfj.mos.gov.cn) of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention, which was set up to collect information on corrupt activities, was so popular it crashed on Tuesday, just one day after it was launched."The enthusiasm that greeted the launch of the website reflects the growing frustration felt by the general public towards corruption at government level," Xinhua news agency said.
The website had received more than 20 pages of messages as of Wednesday afternoon. Many were congratulatory, but nearly as many were from sceptical members of the public who questioned its work.
"Is there any point in setting up this bureau? Unchecked power will of course result in corruption," said one message."So long as the system doesn't change, any (anti-graft) effort is bound to be quite fruitless."Another message said "this will have no effect at all... we even have to put a question mark next to your own moral standards." The message was signed, "I don't expect anything from you."Despite the website urging people to use their real names, most used pseudonyms. Another entry was signed "Don't take revenge on me."Government corruption has emerged as a major thorn in the side of the ruling Communist Party as China's economic liberalisation, coupled with a rigid communist hierarchy, afford party officials ample opportunities for graft.
President Hu Jintao said Tuesday the party would renew its efforts to intensify its fight against corruption, reported the China Daily.The new bureau is not entrusted to investigate corruption, but only to analyse and collect information on corrupt activities, Xinhua said.
(Published in Macau Daily Times, 21 December 2007)
The website (yfj.mos.gov.cn) of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention, which was set up to collect information on corrupt activities, was so popular it crashed on Tuesday, just one day after it was launched."The enthusiasm that greeted the launch of the website reflects the growing frustration felt by the general public towards corruption at government level," Xinhua news agency said.
The website had received more than 20 pages of messages as of Wednesday afternoon. Many were congratulatory, but nearly as many were from sceptical members of the public who questioned its work.
"Is there any point in setting up this bureau? Unchecked power will of course result in corruption," said one message."So long as the system doesn't change, any (anti-graft) effort is bound to be quite fruitless."Another message said "this will have no effect at all... we even have to put a question mark next to your own moral standards." The message was signed, "I don't expect anything from you."Despite the website urging people to use their real names, most used pseudonyms. Another entry was signed "Don't take revenge on me."Government corruption has emerged as a major thorn in the side of the ruling Communist Party as China's economic liberalisation, coupled with a rigid communist hierarchy, afford party officials ample opportunities for graft.
President Hu Jintao said Tuesday the party would renew its efforts to intensify its fight against corruption, reported the China Daily.The new bureau is not entrusted to investigate corruption, but only to analyse and collect information on corrupt activities, Xinhua said.
(Published in Macau Daily Times, 21 December 2007)
17 December 2007
Jobs at Macau Translations
We are looking for experienced translators working in Chinese-English pair for daily translation assignments.
You should be able to work quickly and accurately, translating on average between 6 to 8 pages in approximately 5 hours. You must be able to use Internet resources efficiently to look up correct terms and names in different languages. You are not required to write English texts at a native level, but you must use correct grammar and have a clear style of writing.
The payment will be made on 15th and 30th of every month per character of the source text or per word of target text, as instructed by us.
Topics include texts of general nature and local news and events. Most of the work must be completed within daytime office hours; selected assignments will be given for overnight translation. You may be allowed to work from home, if we are satisfied with your existing working conditions and efficiency.
Interested parties can contact us at jobs@macautranslations.com
Please forward your detailed CV with contact details and 3 (three) bilingual samples of recently completed work.
Successful candidates will be required to attend an interview and sit for a timed placement test.
We may be able to offer you other types of assignments based on our assessment and your performance.
Candidates considered successful after one month of probation will be offered full-time positions. Our salaries for full-time positions range between MOP15,000 and MOP30,000 based on your qualifications and performance.
We will apply for Macau working permit for holders of foreign travel documents selected for full-time positions.
Full confidentiality guaranteed for all candidates.
You should be able to work quickly and accurately, translating on average between 6 to 8 pages in approximately 5 hours. You must be able to use Internet resources efficiently to look up correct terms and names in different languages. You are not required to write English texts at a native level, but you must use correct grammar and have a clear style of writing.
The payment will be made on 15th and 30th of every month per character of the source text or per word of target text, as instructed by us.
Topics include texts of general nature and local news and events. Most of the work must be completed within daytime office hours; selected assignments will be given for overnight translation. You may be allowed to work from home, if we are satisfied with your existing working conditions and efficiency.
Interested parties can contact us at jobs@macautranslations.com
Please forward your detailed CV with contact details and 3 (three) bilingual samples of recently completed work.
Successful candidates will be required to attend an interview and sit for a timed placement test.
We may be able to offer you other types of assignments based on our assessment and your performance.
Candidates considered successful after one month of probation will be offered full-time positions. Our salaries for full-time positions range between MOP15,000 and MOP30,000 based on your qualifications and performance.
We will apply for Macau working permit for holders of foreign travel documents selected for full-time positions.
Full confidentiality guaranteed for all candidates.
02 December 2007
MICE in Macau, or Who Ate My Cheese?
Exhibition industry is gaining strong grounds, with top managers earning as much as three million HK dollars a year. A promising future, indeed, but have you seen any of these people living in your neighbourhood?
The author of these lines with two of his colleagues, all in meticulous business attire with business cards handy, tried to enter one of the convention events held in the magnificent new Venetian Convention and Exhibition Center just to be stopped by an ice-cube-like cold-faced lady in black at the reception who insisted in her learned Hong Kong – Australian accent that the show was for invited guests only. When asked why was that, she answered that she was working there and her job was … whatever.
So, she was “working”, wasn’t she? This seems to be The Keyword. The very definition of “work” became rather diluted these days. The lady at the reception couldn’t shed any more light on her employer, or her seniors. She was the senior, and we weren’t welcomed. Period.
Playing nice hosts to our guests, as Macau people always do, we didn’t want to spoil the party, and so we didn’t call the labour inspectors from the Human Resources Office or the Immigration Service. Or should we have done that? Should we denounce our neighbour and nurture the culture of vigilantes when it comes to The Keyword? Then again, how many more people behind those closed doors wouldn’t dare to name their employer?
Exhibition industry is undoubtedly one of the major economic engines in about every country where it has any significant presence. There seems to be no question about the benefits it would and should bring to Macau, and hopefully to its people too.
Being law-abiding citizens as we are, we respect the primacy of law. We presume that the law is (or at least should be) the same for everybody, even for the major exhibition agents from neighbouring regions who apparently see Macau as a “runaway” little sister that should be brought to their terms. Is that the reason why we see registration counters, site offices and interpreters’ booths in our, now local, exhibitions packed with fresh faces with tourist visas? What about the rule of law?
It’s not a secret that the owners of about every Macau-based small business are struggling with severe labour shortage or, to be precise, losing their last hopes in their plight for employees, local or foreign alike, and facing imminent hardship and forthcoming closures. But they follow the law, nevertheless.
Exhibition industry is said to be lacking qualified staff, which is absolutely true, but since when a foreign ID card became a free-entry ticket to Macau exhibition industry, or to any of Macau industries for that matter? Have we seen our local newspapers loaded with advertisements calling for exhibition professionals, or Macau Convention & Exhibition Association overwhelmed by requests, to sustain overseas agents’ claims about lack of personnel? Something has gone amiss here.
Standing prohibition for Macau companies, media or exhibition professionals to work directly in Hong Kong exhibitions has long been accepted as a “matter-of-fact” issue. What about our own home, are we being too nice and flexible or outright careless? Don’t we care?
Leo Stepanov, Managing Partner of Macau Translations Ltd.
Footnote: Macau Translations provided top international interpreters to work for the Macau 2007 2nd Asian Indoor Games and supplied a number of qualified linguistic personnel for some of the participants of the 12th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair. All of them, without exception, were holding valid permits to work in Macau.
(Published in Macau Daily Times, 22 November 2007)
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The author of these lines with two of his colleagues, all in meticulous business attire with business cards handy, tried to enter one of the convention events held in the magnificent new Venetian Convention and Exhibition Center just to be stopped by an ice-cube-like cold-faced lady in black at the reception who insisted in her learned Hong Kong – Australian accent that the show was for invited guests only. When asked why was that, she answered that she was working there and her job was … whatever.
So, she was “working”, wasn’t she? This seems to be The Keyword. The very definition of “work” became rather diluted these days. The lady at the reception couldn’t shed any more light on her employer, or her seniors. She was the senior, and we weren’t welcomed. Period.
Playing nice hosts to our guests, as Macau people always do, we didn’t want to spoil the party, and so we didn’t call the labour inspectors from the Human Resources Office or the Immigration Service. Or should we have done that? Should we denounce our neighbour and nurture the culture of vigilantes when it comes to The Keyword? Then again, how many more people behind those closed doors wouldn’t dare to name their employer?
Exhibition industry is undoubtedly one of the major economic engines in about every country where it has any significant presence. There seems to be no question about the benefits it would and should bring to Macau, and hopefully to its people too.
Being law-abiding citizens as we are, we respect the primacy of law. We presume that the law is (or at least should be) the same for everybody, even for the major exhibition agents from neighbouring regions who apparently see Macau as a “runaway” little sister that should be brought to their terms. Is that the reason why we see registration counters, site offices and interpreters’ booths in our, now local, exhibitions packed with fresh faces with tourist visas? What about the rule of law?
It’s not a secret that the owners of about every Macau-based small business are struggling with severe labour shortage or, to be precise, losing their last hopes in their plight for employees, local or foreign alike, and facing imminent hardship and forthcoming closures. But they follow the law, nevertheless.
Exhibition industry is said to be lacking qualified staff, which is absolutely true, but since when a foreign ID card became a free-entry ticket to Macau exhibition industry, or to any of Macau industries for that matter? Have we seen our local newspapers loaded with advertisements calling for exhibition professionals, or Macau Convention & Exhibition Association overwhelmed by requests, to sustain overseas agents’ claims about lack of personnel? Something has gone amiss here.
Standing prohibition for Macau companies, media or exhibition professionals to work directly in Hong Kong exhibitions has long been accepted as a “matter-of-fact” issue. What about our own home, are we being too nice and flexible or outright careless? Don’t we care?
Leo Stepanov, Managing Partner of Macau Translations Ltd.
Footnote: Macau Translations provided top international interpreters to work for the Macau 2007 2nd Asian Indoor Games and supplied a number of qualified linguistic personnel for some of the participants of the 12th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair. All of them, without exception, were holding valid permits to work in Macau.
(Published in Macau Daily Times, 22 November 2007)
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