CE presents award certificate of inaugural Chief Executive&apos;s Award for Exemplary Performance to HKSAR search and rescue team
13.7.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance Presentation Ceremony today (July 13) to present an award certificate to the awardee of the inaugural Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) search and rescue team, and present each team member with a commendation certificate. In February this year, the 59-strong search and rescue team was deployed to carry out search and rescue operations in quake-stricken areas in Türkiye and rescued four survivors after a search and rescue operation that lasted for 216 hours. In his speech at the ceremony, Mr Lee commended the team for its courageous commitment and demonstrating perseverance, unparalleled courage, professional competence, co-operation and solidarity, which fully exemplified the excellent performance the Government strives to promote. He said the search and rescue team was well-deserved to be awarded the inaugural Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance. Mr Lee said the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance was launched to motivate civil servants to strive for continuous improvement. "I encourage the civil service to take the exemplary performance of the search and rescue team as a role model and to strive for excellence in their work, so as to bring into full play the spirit of teamwork and courageous commitment of the civil service, to take a result-oriented approach, and to safeguard public safety and health so that the public can live with greater safety, peace of mind and happiness," he said. The 59-strong search and rescue team, led by the then Commander of the HKSAR search and rescue team, Mr Yiu Men-yeung, comprises officers from 10 different grades, including 49 members of the Fire Services Department's Urban Search and Rescue Team, as well as 10 officers from the Security Bureau, the Immigration Department and the Department of Health. Mr Yiu said he was very pleased that the team received the first Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance, and expressed gratitude to the HKSAR Government for affirming the team's efforts in the rescue operations in the stricken areas in Türkiye. Other guests attending the ceremony today included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; the Director of Immigration, Mr Au Ka-wang; the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; and the Director of Fire Services, Mr Andy Yeung. The nomination exercise for the inaugural Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance commenced in March this year. The Civil Service Bureau invited bureaux to nominate outstanding teams or colleagues for the honour. The response was overwhelming and more than 20 nominations were received. After being made by the respective Directors of Bureaux, each nomination was considered by a selection committee chaired by the Secretary for the Civil Service. The committee carefully considered each nomination and put forward its recommendations to the Chief Executive. After considering the committee's recommendations, the Chief Executive made his decision on which teams or individuals should be awarded. Ends/Thursday, July 13, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:52 NNNN