Unveiling her fifth policy address, also the last in her five-year tenure, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said since the promulgation of the National Security Law in June last year, this favourable era has come a long way, as authorities have made good use of the time to fulfil their responsibility via preventing, suppressing and punishing acts and activities that could potentially endanger national security.
Although the national security law engendered a lot of controversy, Mrs Lam made it crystal clear in her address any accusation that the national security law has undermined "one country, two systems" is unfounded.
Nevertheless, to safeguard national security in a comprehensive manner, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done.
This encompasses taking forward the enactment of local legislation to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong, reviewing or resurrecting existing legislation to ensure that relevant laws are available for enforcement authorities to bring justice to those violating the national security law, as well as strengthening the work on the prevention of terrorist activities and strengthening public communication regarding national security.
Furthermore, the government has taken an eclectic approach to strengthening national security education and raising law-abiding and national security awareness of Hong Kong people, particularly the youth.
As such, the Education Bureau has introduced the Citizenship & Social Development subject to secondary 4 students in the current school year.
Mrs. Lam also reiterated that public service broadcaster, Radio Television Hong Kong, better known as RTHK, should play an active role in promoting the Constitution and the Basic Law.
Stressing the need to educate teachers on the matter of national security, Mrs Lam said she is willing to give a class to teachers so that they can have a better grasp of the constitutional status, powers and functions of the Chief Executive under "one country, two systems".
Mrs Lam added the government is slated to announce 40 legislative proposals aimed at helping LegCo convey public opinions.
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