The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance Presentation Ceremony today (August 14). He announced that the Inter-departmental Team for Wartime Bomb Disposal with Emergency Relief and Support Services (Bomb Disposal Team) and the Inter-departmental Team for Light Public Housing (LPH Team) were both awarded the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance this year, and presented certificates to the awardees.

     Addressing the ceremony, Mr Lee said that the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance was launched to motivate civil servants to keep moving forward, and to showcase the Government's tireless efforts and the outstanding performance of civil servants to the public. He praised the two award-winning teams for effectively fulfilling their duties with a steadfast sense of mission and exceptional competence, winning public trust through tangible results. They demonstrated the Government's people-oriented, responsible and results-driven governance philosophy, and also manifested the professional spirit of civil servants in rising to challenges and pursuing excellence, setting an example for the entire civil service.

     He added that, from the professionalism and solidarity demonstrated in handling a wartime bomb to the efficiency and innovation in building Light Public Housing (LPH), civil servants have displayed a service spirit of utmost dedication, willingness to take on challenges and readiness to shoulder responsibilities. He encouraged civil servants to keep pushing boundaries, foster team spirit, strive for excellence and serve the community with a "people-oriented" approach.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, also congratulated the award-winning civil service teams. "Both teams brought together outstanding civil servants from various departments and grades, overcoming numerous challenges and accomplishing arduous missions with professionalism," she said. "I hope this honour will inspire more colleagues to strive for excellence and continue to uphold their original aspiration of serving the public to provide public services of higher quality and efficiency."

     In September 2025, a 1 000-pound wartime bomb, containing 500 pounds of high explosives with an enormous destructive potential, was discovered at a construction site in Quarry Bay. With Super Typhoon Ragasa approaching, the contingency deployment became even more challenging. Relevant departments had to race against time to dispose of the bomb to safeguard nearby residents and surrounding facilities. The Security Bureau (SB), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Home Affairs Department (HAD) immediately activated the interdepartmental emergency mechanism, making comprehensive deployment and response arrangements covering risk assessment, site cordoning, evacuation of residents, temporary accommodation, medical support and community liaison, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism and exceptional organisational capabilities.

     The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre of the SB served as the central co-ordination hub for the operation, efficiently co-ordinating relevant departments to rapidly deploy and push forward various tasks including evacuating residents, cordoning off the scene and defusing the bomb. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau of the HKPF executed the high-risk bomb disposal operation after meticulous planning. The Operations Wing and the Hong Kong Island Region of the HKPF assisted in evacuating nearby residents and cordoning off high-risk areas efficiently, while the FSD and relevant support teams maintained a high level of readiness and co-ordination to ensure comprehensive preparedness. HAD shouldered the pivotal tasks of district-wide mobilisation, resident liaisons and temporary accommodation. Within an extremely short period of time, all 30 District Council members and 35 District Services and Community Care Teams (CT) (comprising over 300 members and volunteers) of the Eastern District were mobilised. Seventy-five CT members and volunteers of the Wan Chai District were also engaged to provide cross-district support. During the operation, nearly 2 900 residents across 18 composite buildings were evacuated in an orderly manner. HAD opened a total of 19 temporary shelters, where staff of District Offices, CT members and volunteers were on duty overnight to attend to the accommodation, meals, transport and special needs of the affected residents with dedication. Through the concerted efforts of government departments, district organisations and the public, the bomb was eventually defused safely, which fully demonstrated the Government's exceptional capabilities in efficient interdepartmental co-ordination, putting people first and precise execution in major emergencies.

     Representative of the Bomb Disposal Team, Senior Bomb Disposal Officer (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau) of the HKPF, Mr Suryanto Chin-chiu, said it was a great honour to receive the award. He thanked the Chief Executive for his recognition of the team and extended his gratitude to all personnel involved in the operation. He noted that the bomb involved in this operation posed an extremely high potential hazard, and coupled with the adverse weather, the contingency planning was fraught with challenges. It was only because every department remained steadfast at their posts and demonstrated the high level of professionalism and spirit of solidarity of "One Government" that the crisis was handled expeditiously, safely and smoothly.

     The Chief Executive put forward the LPH initiative in the 2022 Policy Address with the target to build about 30 000 units in five years with a view to immediately improving the conditions of people living in inadequate housing and filling the short-term gap of the public housing supply. The Housing Bureau takes the lead in policy formulation and overall implementation, while the Architectural Services Department is responsible for the project design and construction. Facing tight schedules, enormous project scales and multiple challenges on land use, construction workflow, unit allocation and community facilities, the LPH Team has integrated resources and widely adopted innovative technologies such as Modular Integrated Construction. By flexibly applying standardised designs, modular construction and efficient work procedures, the team has accelerated project completion with enhanced speed, efficiency and quantity, while ensuring construction quality, safety standards and cost efficiency.

     To allocate the units in a more orderly and targeted manner, the team prioritised the elderly, families with children or newborns, and applicants whose health conditions affect their daily life or work, so that citizens with more imminent need for housing can improve their living conditions as soon as possible. The team also pioneered a new management model by collaborating with property management companies and non-governmental organisations, fostering a caring and supportive community environment. With the collective efforts of all parties, the LPH initiative has achieved remarkable results in a short period of time. For instance, the project at Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long was completed in about 12 months, while the foundation and the 18-floor superstructure of the project at Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok, were completed in less than 18 months, breaking the record of constructing multistorey buildings in Hong Kong. The whole initiative is estimated to yield a total rental saving of over $7.5 billion for 30 000 households over five years, alleviating the financial burden on grassroots families. The LPH initiative has made a significant breakthrough in addressing the imminent housing needs of grassroots citizens. This fully reflects the current-term Government's core governing principle of people-oriented and result-oriented approaches. The Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing has dropped from 6.1 years to 4.8 years - a reduction of 1.3 years - substantially lower than the record between 2018 and 2025, and continues to maintain a level below 5.0 years.

     Representative of the LPH Team, the then Deputy Secretary for Housing (Special Duties), Miss Winnie Wong, expressed gratitude to the Chief Executive for affirming the team's efforts. She said the LPH provides a comfortable and safe living environment for residents who have previously lived in inadequate housing, thereby enhancing their overall quality of life. The sense of fulfilment and happiness of the residents serve as the team's greatest motivation for the rapid completion of the initiatives. The team will continue to commit to the people's well-being and strive to create a better living environment that enables them to live and work in contentment.

     Guests attending the ceremony included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho; Mrs Yeung; and the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak.

     The Chief Executive proposed the establishment of the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance Scheme in the 2022 Policy Address to give recognition to meritorious and exemplary teams or individuals in the civil service, with a view to encouraging civil servants to continuously strive for excellence. It also aims to allow the public to have a better understanding of the Government's work and the excellence of the civil service. Starting in 2023, nominations and selections are conducted annually, with the Chief Executive making the final decision.

     The nomination exercise for the new round of the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance commenced in May this year. The Civil Service Bureau invited bureaux to nominate outstanding teams or colleagues for the honour, in recognition of their outstanding performance in different areas. The selection process was rigorous. After being made by the respective Directors of Bureaux, the nominations were each considered by a high-level selection committee of the Government, which then put forward its recommendations to the Chief Executive. After considering the committee's recommendations, the Chief Executive made his decision on the teams or individuals to be awarded.

Ends/Friday, August 14, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:15

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