11-
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1981
A SMILE HELPS, NEW IMMIGRATION RECRUITS ARE TOLD
****
A SMILE OR A RELAXED LOOK FROM HONG KONG'S 'FRONT-LINE OFFICIALS' - THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS WOULD GIVE A GOOD START TO THE HOLIDAY IN HONG KONG OF TOURISTS WHO LAST YEAR BROUGHT ALONG $3 500 MILLION IN FOREIGN CURRENCY, MISS MARIA TAM, AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TOLD SOME 104 NEW RECRUITS THIS MORNING.
SPEAKING AT A PASSING-OUT PARADE OF 57 ASSISTANT IMMIGRATION OFF ICERS AND 47 IMMIGRATION ASSISTANTS AT THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT PARADE GROUND IN HAPPY VALLEY TODAY, MISS TAM ALSO URGED THEM TO +KEEP UP WITH AND IMPROVE ON THE FINÉ PUBLIC RELATIONS+ THAT THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAD ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE YEARS.
MISS TAM SAID THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAD BEEN A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING YEAR FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAD DEALT WITH 9 660 APPLICATIONS FOR IDENTITY CARDS BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, IN ADDITION TO THE IR REGULAR WORK-LOAD OF DEALING WITH 9 046 929 TRAVELLERS COMING THROUGH KAI TAK AND 3 722 921 TRAVELLERS GOING TO CHINA,
+THE IR HARD WORK AND CONTRIBUTION TO OUR TOUR IST TRADE AND GENERAL CONTROL OF THE MOVEMENT OF RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG IS SELF-EVIDENT, SHE SAID.
MISS TAM SAID THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAD PROVED ITSELF TO BE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIBLE IN DEALING WITH THE RUSH OF APPLICATIONS FOR IDENTITY CARDS SINCE OCTOBER 1980 WHEN THE GOVERNMENT, SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC, ABOLISHED THE TOUCH-BASE POLICY.
+1, IN ASSISTING MANY OF THEM TO SURFACE AND APPLY FOR ID CARDS, HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH WITH OFFICERS OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AT DIFFERENT RANKS AND LEVELS. MY QUERIES WERE ALWAYS ANSWERED, + SHE SAID.
SHE HAD HEARD OF ONLY TWO OR THREE COMPLAINTS OF DISCOURTESY WHICH SPOKE WELL FOR THE HIGH STANDARD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S SERVICE UNDER SUCH GREAT PRESSURE, SHE SAID.
THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION WAS NOW GREATLY REDUCED. THOSE WHO PROF IT BY CONTINUING TO SOLICIT ILLEGAL ENTRANTS TO HONG KONG MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE, SHE SAID.
+THIS IS A TASK TO WHICH YOU WILL NO DOUBT GIVE ATTENTION
AND ASSISTANCE,+ MISS TAM TOLD THE RECRUITS.
THE NEW RECRUITS HAD COMPLETED THREE MONTHS OF HARD WORK AND LOOKED FORWARD TO THE IR FUTURE CAREERS OF HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE DEPARTMENT, SHE WISHED THEM ALL A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AND CONGRATULATED THE BEST RECRUIT AND SHIELD WINNERS ON THE IR +EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENT.+
- 1.