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As for security personnel permits, the Police received 19,593 applications, of which 4,485 were approved and 43 rejected.
"The Police is deploying additional staff to process the remaining applications," Mrs Lau said.
On the impact of the new ordinance on employment opportunities for elderly watchmen, Mrs Lau said the over 65 could continue to work in single private residential buildings if they passed a biennial medical examination.
"The ordinance also provides a transitional period for 130,000 holders of the existing watchman's permits, during which they can continue to guard all types of premises.
"They need not apply for the new security personnel permit until they receive notification from the SGSIA," she said.
"These measures will buffer immediate impact on the employment of elderly watchmen."
Mrs Lau stressed that although SGSIA did not encourage security personnel to take up part-time job, it was prepared to allow flexibility for such cases provided that the employee did not work in excess of 372 hours per month and 12 hours per day.
"We will not relax the restriction on working hours as security work requires a high level of concentration and alertness," she said.
"We can hardly expect competent performance from someone who works around the clock and is not given adequate rest time."
Referring to proposals put forward by some labour unions to suspend the ordinance, Mrs Lau said this would simply defer solutions to problems and hamper efforts to improve the quality of the security industry.
"The Police will adopt an understanding attitude during the first three months of enforcement, especially to those whose applications are being processed," she said.
Mrs Lau reminded those who did not hold any watchman's permits but wished to continue employment in security work to apply for such permits on or before May 31, or for security personnel permits as soon as possible.
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