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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, at the Christmas cocktail reception of the Security and Guarding Services Industry Authority today (December 17):
Chairman Pong, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to join this gathering this evening to renew friendship and to catch up with the latest news in the local security industry.
As we reflect on 2008, you will all agree that it has been a very challenging year for Hong Kong. The Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games were held on Chinese soil for the first time. As one of the co-host cities for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, we are honoured to be part of the action and are proud of the resounding success of the Equestrian Events. With the concerted efforts of the civil service, in particular the disciplined services, volunteers and the private security industry, we provided a safe and secure environment for all the participants, officials and visitors during the Equestrian Events. My heartfelt appreciation goes to all members of the private security industry and staff of our disciplined services departments. We have, once again, given full play to our ¡§can do¡¨ spirit.
In 2008, the Security and Guarding Services Industry Authority, the trade associations and the Police have continued to work together to enhance the standard and quality of the local security industry. The Best Security Services Awards, for example, have been instrumental in raising the service standard of the industry by giving recognition to security personnel with outstanding performance in preventing crime.
The nurturing of an excellence culture is one of the keys for the success of any industry. The continuous upgrading of professional skills and knowledge among practitioners through lifelong learning plays an important role in this regard. The Authority and the Security Services Training Board of the Vocational Training Council have been working closely on the provision of quality security training to local security personnel. I look forward to the forging of a closer partnership among all parties concerned in this drive for excellence for the local security industry.
On this occasion, I wish to extend my gratitude to Chairman Pong and all members of the Authority for their unstinting support for our security industry, and I wish the Authority continued success in the years ahead. To everybody, I wish you a joyous and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous 2009!
Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:00
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