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Following is the translation of the full text of speech by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, at the Opening Ceremony of Disciplined Services Joint Exhibition to Celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (June 1):
Heads of Disciplined Services and Auxiliary Forces, distinguished guests, colleagues and members of the public,
I am very pleased to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Disciplined Services Joint Exhibition to Celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR.
Our disciplined services shoulder the important responsibility of keeping Hong Kong safe and secure. They have over the years contributed greatly towards the development of Hong Kong into a stable and prosperous metropolitan city where one can live and work safely. Since the reunification, the disciplined services have continued to serve the public with commitment and a high level of professionalism. This Joint Exhibition is held to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. The opportunity is also taken to showcase the work and achievements of the disciplined services as well as their plans for further development in the future, so that the public will have a deeper and better understanding of them.
Hong Kong's stability owes much to the mutual trust as well as close partnership between the public and the law enforcement agencies. In fact, the loyalty, bravery and hard work of the disciplined services have been recognized and held in high regard by the public. To maintain and strengthen this partnership, we must help the public to better understand the work of the disciplined services, which will in turn enhance the communication and cooperation between them. This exhibition is a good opportunity to promote the public's understanding of the disciplined services.
This is the first time, and a very meaningful one, that the disciplined and auxiliary services join together to showcase their work. The eight participating services are, namely, the Hong Kong Police Force, Fire Services Department, Correctional Services Department, Immigration Department, Customs and Excise Department, Civil Aid Service, Auxiliary Medical Service and Government Flying Service. Their areas of responsibility include maintaining law and order, safeguarding public safety, ensuring effective immigration and customs control, facilitating the rehabilitation of offenders and providing emergency rescue services. In this exhibition, members of the public will have the chance to witness a number of rarely seen demonstrations of simulated operations of the disciplined services, such as first aid, rescue operation at sea using a helicopter, the operation of fire and ambulance robots, detection by guard dogs and narcotics dogs, detection of forged documents using advanced equipment, etc. These activities will demonstrate how the disciplined services discharge their duties and promote understanding of the difficulties and challenges that they face.
Proper equipment is essential to the effective execution of duties. The disciplined services have been constantly upgrading their equipment to keep up with the times, bringing in new technology to meet increasing demands. Advanced equipment as well as purpose-built appliances and vessels are on display in the exhibition. Apart from being interesting and an eye-opener, these displays and demonstrations show how our modernized disciplined services apply new technology in discharging their duties.
In addition to introducing more modern equipment and information systems, other plans to improve service quality and efficiency include the enhancement of training to upgrade the expertise and service standards of the officers, the extension of services to meet the demands of the community, the strengthening of communication with the public, and cooperation with voluntary organizations. Through these plans, the disciplined services will be able to keep abreast of the times in service delivery.
Hong Kong is a good place in which to live and work because of the social stability and public order that we enjoy. These elements are also essential to attracting foreign investors and tourists as well as upholding the status of Hong Kong as an international metropolis. We are proud of the contribution made by the disciplined services in this regard. As the community develops, the disciplined services will be faced with more demands and new challenges. The disciplined services will rise to these challenges and provide even better services. I firmly believe that, with the perseverance of their members, their valuable experiences accumulated over the years and their forward-looking approach to future development, the disciplined services will go from strength to strength in keeping Hong Kong a safe and stable place, and in doing so, give real meaning to the theme of this exhibition, which is "Joining hands and hearts, stability and prosperity we guard".
Thank you.
End/Saturday, June 1, 2002
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