The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesman for Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) made the following appeal today (September 7) regarding a patient who left the hospital without notifying hospital staff:
 
     At around 1.45am today, a 34-year-old male patient suddenly left despite interference of our security guard when he was waiting for admission at the Observation Room in the Accident and Emergency Department.
 
     Security guards conducted searching in hospital and the vicinity area immediately but were unable to locate the patient. TMH is very concerned about the incident and worried about the patient not receiving treatment. TMH has immediately informed the patient's family and reported to the Police. The hospital will co-operate with the Police for the search.
 
     The patient is about 1.6-metre tall, medium-built and square face with short black hair. He was wearing a yellow top, khaki trousers, slippers, and with sunglasses and a black backpack when he left the hospital.
 
     The hospital appeals to members of the public to contact Tuen Mun Police Station at 3661 5800 or call 999 if they know the whereabouts of the patient.
 

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, today (September 7) met with more than 100 Hong Kong students studying in Fujian Province at the Xiamen campus of Huaqiao University to deepen their understanding of the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government civil service and the different job opportunities available for young people, and to encourage them to make early preparations for their future career development.
 
     She also met and exchanged views with the President of Huaqiao University, Mr Wu Jianping, and university staff to know more about the learning situation and career aspirations of Hong Kong students.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, "The Government launches recruitment exercises every year to fill vacancies in various departments and grades involving different professions, areas and nature of work, offering a host of opportunities for graduates, young people and job seekers. I encourage those who are determined to serve the community to join the civil service to realise their potential and aspirations.
 
     "In recent years, more and more local students pursue further studies on the Mainland. For the case of Huaqiao University, there are about 3 000 Hong Kong students currently studying there. I know that some students plan to stay on the Mainland for development after graduation, while some plan to return to Hong Kong to work after graduation and would like to know in advance the employment opportunities provided by the HKSAR Government as well as the recruitment work and procedures of different grades, so as to prepare for their career planning and pursuits. In fact, it takes time for students to prepare for examinations for civil service jobs. Therefore, I went to the campus with the Director of General Grades of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), Mr Hermes Chan, today, hoping to let students know more about the work of different grades in the HKSAR Government and to answer their questions."
 
     She pointed out that appointments to the civil service are based on the principle of open and fair competition, and that the Government received hundreds of thousands of job applications every year. During the recruitment process, all candidates are assessed on the basis of their ability, performance and character, in compliance with the stipulated entry requirements set according to the job requirements of the grade concerned.
 
     Following visits to Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University and Huaqiao University, the CSB will later extend the publicity to university campuses in Beijing and Shanghai to provide recruitment information for Hong Kong students. Meanwhile, the Government will liaise closely with Hong Kong universities to deepen local students' understanding of the work of the civil service and the employment opportunities provided by the Government.
 
     Starting from this year, 22 departments/grades have extended the positions' application requirements to cover, in addition to graduates of next year (2024), students who are currently studying for a bachelor's degree or postgraduate qualifications and will graduate in 2025. Hong Kong students studying on the Mainland and overseas and will graduate in 2025 may also sit for the examinations.
 
     The CSB reminds potential candidates for Government posts who have yet to attain the requisite results should sit for the relevant papers of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) and attain the requisite results in order to be considered for appointment. Interested parties should note that the CRE and/or BLNST are scheduled to be held in eight cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, London, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney, in December this year.
 
     For information on matters related to civil service recruitment and job vacancies, as well as the latest examination arrangements, please visit the website of the CSB: www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/7.html.

          

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 6) raided a large-scale suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Tsuen Wan and seized about 16 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $60 million and a duty potential of about $41 million.

     Customs earlier identified an illicit cigarette syndicate active in Tsuen Wan District. The syndicate often uses industrial building units to store considerable amounts of illicit cigarettes and distributes them during late-night periods to evade Customs' inspections. Upon investigation, Customs officers subsequently conducted an enforcement action during the early hours yesterday and raided an industrial building unit on Wang Lung Street, Tsuen Wan. The batch of suspected illicit cigarettes were seized therein and two men, aged 39 and 54, who were suspected to be connected with the case, were arrested. 
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     The two arrested persons were charged with "dealing with goods to which the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance applies" and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (September 8). Customs will continue to trace the source and flow of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs will also continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multi-pronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

  

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 7) that Signal Hill Garden in Yau Tsim Mong District has been reopened.

     The garden was temporarily closed earlier for urgent clearance work after the typhoon.

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) will hold a Slope Safety Parent-child Carnival from tomorrow (September 8) to September 11 at Domain in Yau Tong to enhance public understanding of landslide hazards and the importance of slope safety.
 
     With the support of the Buildings Department, the carnival will offer fun-filled interactive games which are enjoyable for all ages. There will also be display panels introducing slope safety information.
 
     The carnival will be held between 11am and 8pm from tomorrow to September 10 and between 11am and 7pm on September 11 at Atrium, ground floor at Domain in Yau Tong. Admission is free and participants of the interactive games will receive souvenirs. A geotechnical engineer from the CEDD will answer questions from the public on slope safety and maintenance from 11am to 1pm on September 10. A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will show the danger of landslides to members of the public through an augmented reality game between 11am and 3pm on September 9 and 10.
 
     Members of the public can visit the Hong Kong Slope Safety website (hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/en/home/index.html) for information on slope safety.