The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, today (October 8) extended his congratulations to Hong Kong table tennis athlete Ng Mui-wui on winning a gold medal at the Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games. She has won a gold medal in Women's TT11 Singles.

     Mr Lau said, "Ng Mui-wui has performed brilliantly and demonstrated perseverance as well as sportsmanship. Her excellent achievements are well deserved. I want to express my gratitude for the support given to the athletes by their families and coaches because such support helps athletes to perform at their best."
 

     Police today (October 8) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Aberdeen.
    
     Kwong Lin-kei, aged 53, went missing after he was last seen in a shopping centre in Wah Fu Estate on October 6 morning. His family made a report to Police on the next day (October 7).
    
     He is about 1.62 metres tall, 50 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion, short curly black hair. He was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, black and red sandals and carrying a black rucksack.  
    
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 1040 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The annual concert "Guangdong Music Under the Tree", which used to be held in Kowloon Walled City Park, will be held at Main Plaza of Sha Tin Park this month for the first time.

     Master of Chaozhou music Lau Fok-kwong will lead the Hong Kong Chiuchow Music Ensemble, while master of Cantonese music To Wing will lead a group of veteran Cantonese music musicians, in performing popular compositions of Chaozhou and Cantonese music.

     Admission to the concerts is free. Details of the concerts are as follows:
October 20 (Saturday) 2.30pm
Chaozhou Music: Chaozhou gongs and drums da luogu, "Morning Sun in Springtime"; Chaozhou gongs and drums xiao luogu, "Lions Playing with a Ball", "Butterflies among Flowers"; Xianshi ensemble music "Yearning for Spring" and "Fish Hawks Dabbling in the Water"; Chaozhou operatic songs "Pleading by Justice Bao" and "The Love Story of Chen San and Wuniang" (excerpt), and more.
 
October 21 (Sunday) 2.30pm
Cantonese Music: "Rain Lashing on the Plantain", "Pacing Horses in the Countryside in Spring", "Autumn Moon over a Placid Lake", "Meditations in the Boudoir", "Stepping High", "Butterflies among the Flowers", "Birds Returning to the Woods", "A Hungry Horse Shaking Its Bells", "United We Go", "Lovers' Sorrow", "Pacing Horses", "Thunder in a Drought", "In Celebration of Good Times", "I Have This Feeling" and more.

     For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_625.html.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, October 8, 2018 is 105.5 (up 0.3 against last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, October 6, 2018 was 105.2 (down 0.2 against last Friday's index).

     The Development Bureau (DEVB) has taken regulating actions in accordance with the Contractor Management Handbook against contractors concerned for construction issues associated with Hung Hom Station, To Kwa Wan Station and Exhibition Centre Station under the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) Project implemented by the MTR Corporation Limited.
 
     A spokesman for the DEVB said today (October 8), "In 2001, the Government promulgated the Contractor Management Handbook to monitor the performance of public works contractors and suppliers. The Handbook specifies circumstances that may lead to the taking of regulating actions, the guidelines and procedures on taking regulating actions and the possible regulating actions. If a contractor is found or suspected to have committed serious poor performance in any public or private sector works contract, the DEVB can take appropriate regulating action against the contractor in accordance with established procedures. Regulating actions include suspension from tendering, downgrading to probationary status, demotion to a lower group, or removal from the relevant Lists of Approved Contractors for Public Works and of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works (Approved Lists).
 
     "Based on the information available, including the contractors' representations and the relevant circumstances at Hung Hom Station, To Kwa Wan Station and Exhibition Centre Station of the SCL Project, the DEVB has decided to, under the prevailing mechanism, take regulating actions against contractors concerned."
 
     Details of the regulating actions are as follows:
 
1. For the construction issues associated with Hung Hom Station, Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited is suspended from tendering for all works categories under which it is listed on the Approved Lists for a period of 12 months effective from October 8, 2018.
 
2. For the construction issues associated with To Kwa Wan Station, both of the joint venture participants, Samsung C & T Corporation and Hsin Chong Construction Company Limited, are suspended from tendering for all works categories under which they are listed on the Approved Lists for a period of four months effective from October 8, 2018.
 
3. For the construction issues associated with Exhibition Centre Station, both of the joint venture participants, Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited and China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited, are suspended from tendering for the works categories of "Buildings (Group C)" and "Roads and Drainage (Group C)" for a period of three months. The suspension for Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited will take effect upon expiry of the suspension period relating to Hung Hom Station (as mentioned in item (i) above) and the suspension period for China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited will be effective from October 8, 2018.
 
     In regard to the regulating action taken in relation to item (i) above, the Government reserves the right to take further regulating actions. In case more information on the construction issues associated with Hung Hom Station is available in future, the DEVB will review the situation and, if necessary, recommend and take further appropriate regulating actions.