Thirty-two individuals and entities were formally recognised by Macao’s government for their achievements, outstanding contributions and distinguished services at the Special Administrative Region (SAR)’s annual honours ceremony in late November. While Macao’s highest decoration of honour, the Grand Lotus, was not awarded this year, Golden Lotuses were conferred on five worthy recipients.
The Golden Lotus, Macao’s second-highest accolade, was awarded to the Macau Holy House of Mercy, the Health Bureau’s Conde de São Januário Hospital, and three distinguished individuals: Leonel Alberto Alves, Peter Lam Kam Seng, and Andrew Chan Chak Mo. All three men are members of Macao’s Executive Council.
The Macau Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Macau, or SCMM in Portuguese) was established in 1569 by Bishop Belchior Carneiro. The longest-running social solidarity organisation in Macao, it focuses on providing services to the elderly, children and the blind. Its Senado Square premises is also home to a valuable collection of artefacts highlighting early exchanges between Chinese and Western cultures. These mainly religious objects are displayed in a museum that is open to the public. Conde de São Januário Hospital, meanwhile, was founded in 1874. The public infirmary currently offers more than 1,000 hospital beds, 29 specialities and 24 subspecialities, providing comprehensive healthcare and emergency services to Macao residents.
Alves, meanwhile, is a lawyer who spent his career practising in Macao after graduating from the University of Lisbon’s law faculty, in Portugal. He is currently a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. A well-respected leader in the Macanese community, Alves also helped found Generations International School.
Lam is an experienced businessman currently serving as the chair of the University Council of UM. He is chairman of the Board of Directors of Macau Urban Renewal Limited, and played an important role in implementing the Macau New Neighbourhood housing project in Hengqin.
Chan, one of Macao’s lawmakers, is the managing director of Future Bright Group, which operates food and catering, food souvenir and property investment businesses across Greater China. Chan also chairs the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macau. He was appointed president of the Sports and Olympic Committee of Macao earlier this year.
Decorations of honour are conferred on individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions locally or outside the city, enhanced the image and reputation of the SAR, or contributed in an exceptional way to a field benefitting Macao’s development.
Macao’s third highest decoration of honour, the Silver Lotus, was awarded to the Macau Industrial Association and Luso International Banking Limited this year. The Macau Industrial Association is known for promoting the Made in Macau brand and implementing the M-Mark (a quality certification programme for Macao products). Luso International Banking Limited was recognised for its significant contributions to financial innovation and economic development in the SAR over the past 50 years.
A large number of medals of merit were also presented at the ceremony, along with other medals and titles.
Professional Merit Medals went to:
- Kong Chio Fai, a US-educated technology specialist dedicated to innovation in the internet sector.
- Executive Council member Frederico Ma Chi Ngai, who is also a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
- Executive Council member Ieong Tou Hong, who holds a master’s degree in economics from Jinan University and a PhD in business management from the Macau University of Science and Technology.
- Executive Council member Zhang Zongzhen, who holds a master’s degree in optoelectronics and a PhD in management engineering from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
- Executive Council member Chao Weng Hou, who is also deputy general manager of the Inclusive Finance Department of the Bank of China’s Macao branch.
Industrial and Commercial Merit Medals went to:
- The Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau (TCM), one of Macao’s two public bus operators, has been operating bus routes for 50 years. In 2010, TCM was acquired by Nam Kwong Group – the first state-owned enterprise headquartered in Macao.
- The pharmaceutical company Ashford Laboratories, which specialises in the production of sterile ophthalmic and auricular drops, as well as emulsions, ointments and external solutions. Its products are marketed locally, in Southeast Asia and in Portuguese-speaking countries.
- BoardWare Intelligence Technology Ltd, which delivers information technology solutions to public services and businesses across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
A Tourism Merit Medal went to:
- The Macau Hotel Association, which was founded in 1985 to promote connections and exchanges between Macao’s hotel sector and the outside world.
Educational Merit Medals went to:
- Pui Ching Middle School, which was founded in Guangzhou in 1889 and moved to Macao in 1938 and currently educates around 3,700 pupils.
- Escola Tong Sin Tong, which has provided free, high-quality comprehensive education for underprivileged children for the past 100 years.
- Associate dean at the University of Macau’s law faculty, Iau Teng Pio. Iau, a delegate of the National Committee of the CPPCC and a member of the Executive Council of Macao and a member of the Legislative Assembly, holds a PhD in law from Beijing’s China University of Political Science and Law.
- University of Macau professor Mak Pui In, who specialises in electrical and computer engineering. Mak is the director of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, as well as deputy director of the Institute of Microelectronics.
A Cultural Merit Medal went to:
- The lawyer, writer, playwright and composer Henrique Miguel Rodrigues de Senna Fernandes, a dedicated advocate for Macanese culture and the co-founder of the Doci Papiaçam di Macau Theatre Group.
Philanthropic Merit Medals went to:
- Traditional Chinese medicine master Kong Su Kan, who specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology. Kong developed his namesake Analgesic Oil.
- Executive Council member Lee Chong Cheng, who also heads the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and is a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
- Executive Council member Chan Ka Leong, the president of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations.
A Sports Merit Medal went to:
- The Macau Athletics Association, which has been responsible for the Macau International Marathon since 1987 and helps promote Macao as a ‘City of Sports’.
A Medal of Dedication went to:
- Choi Sio Un, who currently heads the Department of Social Solidarity of the Social Affairs Bureau.
A Community Service Medal went to:
- Social worker Hoi Choi Han, head of the Lok Yeung Elderly Day Care Centre of the General Union of Neighbourhood Association of Macao.
Honorific Titles of Merit went to:
- The Pui Tou School’s Astronomy Team, which discovered a new asteroid in 2023.
- Two Pui Ching Middle School students, Xu Ziheng and Leong Pok Hei, who represented Macao at last year’s Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, US, and received awards in their respective categories.
- Saint Paul School student Ung Man Kit, who represented Macao in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship held in Anaheim, US, and became the world champion in Microsoft Excel (Office 2019).
- Sacred Heart Canossian College student Wong Tsan Ying, who represented Macao in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship held in Anaheim, US, and became the world champion in Microsoft Word (Office 2019).
A ceremony conferring the decorations, medals of merit and honorific titles took place on 29 November, and was presided over by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng.
