XN000022-1983-11-20 — Page 8

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Y, 10.BER 20, 1983

NEW I.D. CARD APPLICATION REMINDER

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MEN BORN IN 1957 AND 1956 WERE REMINDED TODAY (SUNDAY) THAT THEY HAD ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY FOR NEW IDENTITY CARDS.

THE SIXTH PHASE OF THE EXERCISE, TARGETED AT THESE TWO AGE GROUPS, WILL END ON DECEMBER 3, 1983.

AN IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID, +SINCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS PHASE ON OCTOBER 31, 74 500 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. THE ESTIMATED TOTAL NUMBER OF MEN IN THIS AGE BRACKET IS 120 000.+

THE FIGURE REPRESENTS AN AVERAGE TURN-UP RATE OF 3 700 APPLICANTS A DAY IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS.

+WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE CO-OPERATION OF THESE APPLICANTS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET APPLIED TO DO SO NOW, SO AS TO AVOID ANY LAST MINUTE RUSH, HE SAID.

APPLICANTS SHOULD BRING ALONG THEIR OLD IDENTITY CARDS WHEN THEY REPORT TO ANY OF THE EIGHT ISSUE OFFICES BETWEEN 8 AM AND 9.30 PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY.

IT TAKES ABOUT HALF AN HOUR TO PROCESS AN APPLICATION, AND APPLICANTS WILL BE ASKED TO RETURN IN 18 WORKING DAYS TO COLLECT THEIR NEW CARDS AND SURRENDER THE IR OLD ONES.

+THOSE WHO ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG DURING THE SPECIFIED PERIOD SHOULD APPLY WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THEIR RETURN, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE PRAISED

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY, TODAY (SUNDAY) PRAISED THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE FOR THEIR VOLUNTARY SERVICE WHICH, HE SAID, MEANS YOU ARE FREE TO DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH YOUR TIME, YET YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE TIME AND ENERGY+.

+YOU ACCEPT DISCIPLINE FOR THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. IN HONG KONG NOBODY FORCES YOU TO DO THIS. YOU CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE OF YOUR OWN FREE WILL. WE MUST ALL WISH THAT THIS WAY OF LIFE WHICH MAKES THIS POSSIBLE WILL CONTINUE FOREVER, MR BRAY SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL PARADE OF THE BRIGADE AT THE SOUTH CHINA ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STADIUM, HE ALSO PRAISED THEM FOR THE IR DEVOTION AND HARD WORK.

+THE PUBLIC-SPIRITEDNESS, DEDICATION, ENTHUSIASM AND DETERMINATION OF THE PERSONNEL OF THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE ARE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, HE SAID.

/+IN ORDER