CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 306

307

SIXTH DAY

1st April, 1941.

Present: - His Honour Sir A.D.A. MacGregor, Kt., K.C., Chairman.

Mr. Bernard Brown, A.C.A., J.P.

Mr. David Drummond, J.P.

Mr. Woo Hang-kam, L1.B., J.P.

Mr. K.M.A. Barnett, J.P., Secretary.

Mr. R.A.D. Forrest, Immigration Officer.

The evidence of Mr. J.H.B. Lee, Deputy Immigration Officer, and

Inspector B. Thorpe, Passport Officer, was taken in camera at 9.30 a.m、

in the Chief Justice's Chambers.

DR. S.N. CHAU

Com

J.P.

Second Court. 10.15 a.m.

Chairman;

I have here a proof of your evidence, Dr. Chau. I think it will be

the shortest way if I read that out and you will tell me whether that

completely represents the complaint that you have to make about the

administration of the Department.

# I possess a certificate of residence issued by the Immigration

office.

On Monday 10th March I returned to Hong Kong from Macao by

the s.s. "Kin Shan." I and other passengers in possession of similar

certificates proceeded to the gangway but we were told by a Chinese

Immigration Officer that we would not be permitted to disembark

until all those passengers who had passports had landed. I and

others with me had accordingly to wait for at least 20 minutes whilst

those with passports left the ship.

The examination of the passports was done by a European

Immigration Officer in the saloon and when I was allowed to land my

certificate was examined by the Chinese Immigration Officer at the

gangway, so that it would have been quite possible for persons with

certificates such as mine to have disembarked at the same time as

those with passports."

That is the whole of your complaint Dr. Chau?

Q.

A.

Yes.

Q.

Instead of having two examinations, one following the other in time,

there was nothing to prevent there having been two simultaneous

examinations for the two classes of documents?