Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting (with video)
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Reporter: Your decision not to make yesterday as a holiday has made many citizens suffer or even get injured on their way to work, and legally, people said you have mechanism to make yesterday as a holiday, like General Holidays Ordinance or the Emergency Regulations Ordinance. So, will you apologise for not making yesterday as a holiday as people have criticised on your Facebook that you have put their life at risk?
Chief Executive: I don't think the Government has put any citizen's life at risk. We have done all we could to respond to this super typhoon, and afterwards we have been trying very hard to restore the city to normal as quickly as possible. But, as I have said in my introductory remarks, the magnitude of this typhoon was huge and the impact was very serious, so the disruptions to public transport, especially the East Rail and the franchised bus services are very serious. We have made repeated, I have personally made repeated appeals to employers that this is the sort of situation that we need more understanding, accommodation and mutual support. So, for individuals who have difficulties in going back to work because of the traffic disruptions, the employers should express understanding, and as I have said, yesterday I received feedback from many employer associations and sector representatives that they are exercising that flexibility in order to accommodate the difficulties faced by the employees in travelling to work. Having said that, every time we have a major incident, we will review the arrangements, so I have asked the Secretary for Security to conduct an overall review of the various arrangements in coping with major typhoon like this one.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Issued at HKT 13:12
Issued at HKT 13:12
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Audio / Video
CE meets the media