Hong Kong’s Civil Service Bureau has advised applicants seeking to head the city’s new college for Public Servants that they must have “a comprehensive and accurate understanding” of China’s constitution, Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the Beijing-imposed National Security Law.
The successful applicant is to be awarded a three-year contract and paid a monthly salary of at least HK$265,150 ($A47,670).
The Bureau described the college as a major undertaking to “enhance training for Civil Servants on all fronts”.
The applicant must also have at least 15 years’ administrative or managerial experience however, the job description does not specify that they must be a Public Servant.
Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung (pictured) is to temporarily take up the post before the Government appoints a candidate, which it is expected to do in the first half of 2022.
Meanwhile, four Public Service unions have issued a joint statement to call on people to “vote enthusiastically” in the upcoming “patriots only” election, saying the revamped polls are of “great significance”.
The elections, on 19 December, will be the first since Beijing directed sweeping electoral changes to ensure only ‘patriots’ ruled Hong Kong.
It is also the first legislative race following the enactment of the National Security Law.
The unions said they fully supported the election, which is to mobilise more than 30,000 Public Servants to help with polling work.
They previously appealed to fellow Government staff to sign up for working on Election Day, and urged the public to fulfil their civic duty and cast their ballot in the poll for members of the Legislative Council.
Hong Kong, 4 December 2021
