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The Director of Immigration, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, today (April 3) inspected a passing-out and director's farewell parade at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development in Tuen Mun.
Mr Lai was the reviewing officer. He looked back on his 35 years' service with the Immigration Department and acknowledged the department's evolution into a people-oriented law enforcement agency that was well received by the public and highly respected by counterparts.
"I have witnessed all kinds of challenges the department had gone through, like the influx of Vietnamese boat people, the abolition of the 'reach-base' policy, the arrangements for the return of Hong Kong to our motherland in 1997 and the right of abode issue. With concerted efforts, we passed through all those ordeals with professionalism and competency," Mr Lai said.
"Over the years, the department has continued to expand its scope of service. In its early days, the department was responsible only for exercising immigration control, issuing travel documents and assessing visa applications. The scope of work was gradually expanded to include the issue of identity cards, registration of births, deaths and marriages. In 1997 its services were further extended to handling matters related to Chinese nationality, canvassing various countries and territories around the world for granting visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders, processing torture claims and deploying officers to provide assistance to residents in distress outside Hong Kong," Mr. Lai said.
He said he was honoured to have led such an excellent team since his appointment as the Director of Immigration in July, 2002. The department had ridden out so many storms, the most unforgettable being the SARS outbreak in 2003 when his staff managed to provide immigration clearance for a vast number of Individual Visit travellers efficiently despite a strain on resources. He added that the department's commitment to developing information technologies, launching the Smart Identity Card Replacement Exercise, automated clearance and electronic passport, had not only enhanced law enforcement efficiency but also offered effective and convenient services to the public and visitors.
"The Immigration Department plays a unique role in being Hong Kong's gatekeeper and maintaining the prosperity and stability of the city. Keeping pace with the social development and ever-changing economic and political environment, the department is tasked on the one hand with an increasingly heavy workload and on the other hand to assist the HKSAR government in the implementation of the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy in promoting the development of both Hong Kong and the Mainland by enhancing their exchanges and amalgamation with regard to immigration control and the formulation of immigration policies.
"The department's tremendous workload, its vast scope of services and the complexity of its duties should not be overlooked. We fully understand the pressure faced by staff of different ranks and different posts and that is why we have been voicing our needs on the grade structure review with a view to boosting the morale and fostering better working conditions. I believe that this spiritual of unity will give us the strength to meet further challenges in future," Mr. Lai said.
He also took pride in seeing in front of him a spirited new force that was full of vigour and vitality. "Being the future pillars of the department, you should bear in mind the following. Fear no hardship, be dedicated to perform your duties in a just and selfless manner. Adhere to the people-oriented concept in the provision of services, display pragmatic yet enterprising professional qualities and show your spirit of devotion to your career to pass on the fine traditions of the department. I believe that by continuing to strive for progress and work with dedication, you can ride out all the difficulties ahead and excel like those before you," he said. Mr Lai ended his sharing with the graduates with a Chinese saying: "A man of benevolence is free from anxieties, a man of wisdom is free from perplexities, a man of courage is free from fear".
Finally, Mr. Lai expressed his gratitude to the people with whom he had worked both within and outside the department as well as the heads of Mainland departments. "I will be leaving the service very soon. It is hard for me to say goodbye to this big family in which I have worked for more than 30 years, and I will be forever remembering the times when all members of the department endeavoured to work against the odds and we went through thick and thin together. I hereby express my heartfelt gratitude to every uniformed and civilian colleague.
"Being my mentors and helpful friends, they have given me support and encouragement for which I am forever grateful. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to the heads of Mainland departments and friends who have come a long way to attend this parade. They have for many years been giving me as well as the department invaluable support and guidance. Finally, may I again congratulate the officers on parade and wish the department every success under the lead of Director Simon Peh Yun-lu," he said.
Taking part in today's passing-out parade were 71 Immigration Officers and 91 Immigration Assistants who successfully completed induction training.
Ends/Thursday, April 3, 2008
Issued at HKT 20:46
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