XN000022-1983-10-21 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1983

NEW I.D. CARD DEADLINE

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OCTOBER 29

THE OLD IDENTITY CARDS ISSUED TO MALE RESIDENTS BORN BETWEEN 1960 AND 1964 WILL CEASE TO BE LEGAL DOCUMENTS OF IDENTITY AS FROM OCTOBER 30, 1983, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).

THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT DAYS LEFT FOR THOSE AGE GROUPS TO APPLY FOR NEW ID CARDS.

A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN AMPLE TIME TO CHANGE THE IR OLD CARDS FOR NEW ONES DURING VARIOUS PHASES OF THE NEW I.D. CARD ISSUE SCHEME, BUT THEY HAVE A LAST CHANCE TO DO SO DURING THE CURRENT PHASE ENDING ON OCTOBER 29.

+ANYONE WITHIN THIS AGE BRACKET FOUND TO BE HOLDING AN OLD I.D. CARD AFTER IT HAS BECOME INVALID IS BOUND TO SUFFER INCONVENIENCE AND MAY EVEN BE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION, HE ADDED.

THE OLD CARDS ISSUED TO THE ABOVE AGE GROUP WILL BE THE FIRST BATCH TO BE INVALIDATED SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHEME IN MAY THIS YEAR. A SECOND BATCH WILL BE INVALIDATED IN SIX MONTHS' TIME.

MEANWHILE, MEN BORN IN 1958 AND 1959 ARE REMINDED TO COME FORWARD FOR THEIR NEW CARDS BEFORE THE CURRENT PHASE CLOSES ON OCTOBER 29.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT UP TO LAST (THURSDAY) NIGHT, A TOTAL OF 110 000 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED, LEAVING AN ESTIMATED 18 000 YET TO COME.

HE URGED THE REMAINDER TO APPLY FOR THEIR NEW CARDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF THEY APPLY NOW, THEY CAN AVOID THE LAST MINUTE RUSH, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

APPLICANTS MUST BRING ALONG THE IR OLD 1.D. CARD AND REPORT IN PERSON TO ANY OF THE EIGHT ISSUE OFFICES BETWEEN 8 AM AND 9.30 PM, MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS.

THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT THOSE WHO ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG AND WILL NOT BE BACK BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE SHOULD APPLY WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THEIR RETURN.