Tung Wah Group of Hospitals has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (August 31), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 

     For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678. Information on flag days is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew) and the GovHK portal (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing contact information of the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Lo Wai-chung, in the small hours of today (August 31) visited a police officer in Princess Margaret Hospital after the officer was attacked last night. At around 11:15pm yesterday, the off-duty male police officer, aged 45, was attacked by three males with a knife when he was walking past Kwai Yi Road. Sustaining injuries to his limbs and back, the officer was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment.

Mr Lo expressed sadness and anger over the attack. He said such a brutal attack was contemptible and he expressed severe condemnation. Police will conduct a comprehensive investigation and pledge to bring the offenders to justice. Mr Lo stressed that wounding with intent is a very serious offence and is liable to life imprisonment. The Force Welfare Services Group and psychologists are providing assistance to the family of the officer.

Investigation by the Regional Crime Unit of New Territories South is underway. Anyone who witnessed the case or has any information to offer is urged to contact Police.

     The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) noticed that there are online posts about expressing views at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on Sunday (September 1), in which operating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and exhibiting laser light in the vicinity of the HKIA are mentioned. The CAD today (August 30) reminds the public not to operate UAS or exhibit laser light in the area of the HKIA and in its vicinity (including 5km of the aerodrome) to avoid contravening the law and jeopardising aviation safety.

     UAS are classified as aircraft and are governed, as far as aviation safety is concerned, by the civil aviation legislation. Article 48 of the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C) stipulates that a person who recklessly or negligently causes or permits an aircraft (including an UAS and a model plane) to endanger any person or property is liable to prosecution, and upon conviction, to a fine and to imprisonment for two years.

     Moreover, under section 35 of the Airport Authority Bylaw (Cap. 483A), no person shall, within the Bylaw Area, fly a model plane (including UAS). Offenders shall be liable on conviction to a maximum penalty of a fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Under section 3 of the Airport Authority Bylaw, the Bylaw Area shall comprise – (i) all the Restricted Area; (ii) all that portion of the Airport Area no part of which is either in the Restricted Area or on any road or length of road; and (iii) all the designated roads, but shall not include any area within an area referred to in paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) which is also within the MTR Area.

     Shining laser light at aircraft in flight also poses serious hazard to aviation safety. According to the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C), exhibiting light (including laser light) that endangers aircraft is an offence. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a fine.

     Aviation safety is crucial to the public and the passengers. The CAD and the Airport Authority Hong Kong will closely monitor the situation and take appropriate measures and actions to ensure aviation safety.   

     It was mistakenly circulated on the Internet that Letter of No Objection is not required for organising public procession for religious purpose.

     Police today (August 30) reiterated that according to the Public Order Ordinance, it is not necessary to notify the Police for conducting public meeting for religious purpose. However, anyone who plans to organise a public procession for religious purpose with more than 30 participants, he or she still needs to notify the Police in accordance with Section 13 of the Public Order Ordinance.

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, has encouraged young people to join the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) of the Labour Department (LD) to seize every opportunity for self-enhancement and boost their competitiveness in employment.
      
     Officiating at the Award Ceremony of YETP Most Improved Trainees 2019 cum Concert co-organised by the LD and Radio 2 of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) tonight (August 30), Dr Law said that over the years the LD has been providing one-stop pre-employment and on-the-job training through the YETP for young people with a view to helping them unleash their full potential in employment. To cater for the needs of the labour market and the young people, new pre-employment training courses will be rolled out under the YETP in the coming Programme Year 2019/20 to equip young people with new job-specific skills and improve their chances of joining the industries they wish to be part of.
 
     "Among the awardees this year are a secondary school graduate who has entered the banking industry through a large-scale recruitment day under the YETP, a youth who joined a green business start-up for a taste of entrepreneurship, and a trainee who has made full use of his knowledge in mechanics to set foot in the railway industry through the YETP. There are also trainees who have transformed their passions in music, aircraft and model cars into competitive edges and built up their career paths in the music, aircraft maintenance and automobile repair industries," Dr Law said.  
      
     Dr Law pointed out that apart from the trainees' own hard work, the concerted efforts of employers and training bodies supportive of the programme are indispensable in helping trainees apply their own interests and skills in career development. He expressed the hope that every sector of the community would continue to work together to create an environment with different opportunities for young people so that they can envision a brighter future.
 
     The award ceremony and concert co-organised by the LD and RTHK was themed "Dream Journey with YETP". The awards were presented to 10 outstanding trainees who achieved significant improvements in personal development, leadership or work performance during the training period. Moreover, 12 other trainees have been selected for the Merit Awards so as to encourage more young people to work hard in realising their career goals and dreams.
 
     The YETP is open to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below. Trainees who are undergoing pre-employment training or who have completed the workplace attachment training are eligible for a training allowance. Enrolment is free of charge on a year-round basis. For details, please visit the YETP's website at www.yes.labour.gov.hk. The LD has also set up a Youth Employment Services hotline 2112 9932 to provide a one-stop enquiry service on the programme and register training vacancies provided by interested employers.