WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1974
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LEGCO MEETING DELAYED BY BOMB HOAX
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WENT INTO SESSION THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT 35 MINUTES BEHIND SCHEDULE FOLLOWING AN ANONYMOUS TELEPHONE CALL THAT THERE WAS A BOMB IN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING WHICH HOUSES THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
THE CALL WAS RECEIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 2 P.M. BY THE SECRETARY TO THE DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. THE VOICE WAS THAT OF A MAN SPEAKING IN ENGLISH WITH WHAT SEEMED TO BE AN ASIAN ACCENT.'
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, PRESS REPRESENTATIVES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAD ALREADY ASSUMED THEIR SEATS IN THE CHAMBER WERE REQUESTED TO LEAVE WHILE POLICE SEARCHED THE CHAMBER AND SURROUNDING AREAS. ALL PUBLIC AREAS WITHIN THE BUILDING WERE SEARCHED AND OFFICERS WERE ASKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS IN THEIR OFFICES, NOTHING WAS FOUND AND COUNCIL RESUMED AT APPROXIMATELY 3.05 P.M.
THE PROCEEDINGS BEGAN WITH THE SWEARING IN OF THE FIVE NEW APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS MR. J.H. BREMRIDGE, DR. HARRY FANG SIN-YANG, MRS. KWAN KO SIU-WAH, MR. LO TAK-SHING AND MR. FRANCIS TIEN YUEN-HAO.
AFTER WELCOMING THE NEW MEMBERS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WENT ON TO PAY WARM TRIBUTE TO THE HON. WOO PAK-CHUEN, THE HON. SZETO WAI, THE HON WILFRED WONG SIEN-BING, MR. ANN TSE-KAI, AND MR. G.M. SAYER, ALL OF WHOM RETIRED. FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS FROM THE FIRST OF THIS MONTH.
ALL OF THEM, THE GOVERNOR SAID, HAD CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
SIR MURRAY EXPRESSED DEEP GRATITUDE TO MR. WOO FOR HIS LONG AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AND SAID HE ADMIRED +THE EXEMPLARY WAY IN WHICH HE DISCHARGED THE VERY ONEROUS DUTIES OF SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS.+
THE GOVERNOR SAID: +IT IS A SOURCE OF GREAT SATISFACTION TO ME THAT THE ADVICE AND SUPPORT OF MR. SZETO, MR. ANN AND MR. SAYER AS WELL AS MR. WOO, WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE TO UMELCO AND TO MYSELF IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
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+THEY HAVE ALL, IN DIFFERENT WAYS, CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE WORK OF THIS COUNCIL AND TO THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY AT LARGE.+
SIR MURRAY HAD A SPECIAL WORD OF THANKS FOR MR. WILFRED WONG WHO SERVED ON THE COUNCIL SINCE JUNE 1965.
+HIS VISE AND LIVELY CONTRIBUTIONS, PARTICULARLY ON THE ECONOMY, WILL BE A LOSS TO ALL OF US,+ SIR MURRAY SAID. +BUT IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT, AFTER NINE YEARS OF TIRELESS AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE, MR. WONG SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THE RETIREMENT FROM THIS COUNCIL THAT HE HAS ASKED FOR AND SO WELL DESERVED.+
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