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The Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, visited Yau Tsim Mong District today (May 27) to learn more about the latest developments there. He exchanged views with District Councillors and local residents. He also visited a welfare organisation to find out about the services it provides for ethnic minorities in the district.
Accompanied by the District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Ms Betty Ho, Mr Lai first visited fixed-pitch hawker stalls at Bowring Street to learn about their business environment. During his visit, he talked to members of the "Yau Tsim Mong Fight Crime Veterans" project who were distributing anti-crime pamphlets. To encourage the elderly to take part in crime prevention activities, the Police Mong Kok and Yau Tsim Districts jointly launched the "Yau Tsim Mong Fight Crime Veterans" project. The project aims to promote fight crime themes, raise public awareness of crime and enlist community support for policing. There are about 160 elderly members at present.
Mr Lai expressed appreciation to the "Yau Tsim Mong Fight Crime Veterans" members for their active participation in various crime prevention activities, and their assistance to the Police in promoting anti-burglary, anti-quick cash crime and road safety messages.
Mr Lai then visited Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service Yau Tsim Mong Family Education and Support Centre where he was briefed on the centre's services. The centre mainly serves the disadvantaged and ethnic minorities. It provides anti-drug education, training programmes and career support services to help users integrate into the community. Among them, the "Combating Drugs, Co-creating Healthy Community among South Asian" project is funded by the Beat Drugs Fund. It aims to help the South Asian community understand the importance of having a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.
The centre also provides translation services for South Asians and local organisations to lower language barriers and increase the opportunities for them to use local services. The centre also organises employee retraining programmes, provides personal and family counselling services and forms hobbies development groups.
Mr Lai then watched a music performance by the centre's Nepalese band. He also chatted with ethnic minority members to learn about their daily lives.
Before concluding his visit, Mr Lai met with Yau Tsim Mong District Councillors and exchanged views with them on law and order matters and other community issues concerned.
Ends/Monday, May 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:37
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