Former AL president: ‘People have other needs besides money’

Susana Chou was the first Macau SAR Legislative Assembly’s president and retired last year

After 10 years as president of the first and second Macau SAR Legislative Assembly (AL), Susana Chou decided to totally change her lifestyle. She is now running her charity foundation and enjoying her spare time writing whatever she feels in her blog.
Her new office is filled with pictures from her former political life. And when she talks about her former job as the AL president, Chou smiles, like she is already missing it.
In an exclusive interview with the Macau Daily Times, Chou insists on regarding herself as an “ordinary resident”, refusing to make comments about the new AL and showing some resistance in sharing her opinions on the Government’s performance and the Macau political scene. However, the former AL number one does spare some advice for the new Government, pinpoints current society needs and talks about democracy and her thoughts about the May 1 demonstrations.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – Seven months have gone by since you retired from the Legislative Assembly (AL) presidency.  What do you think of the new AL?
Susana Chou (S.C.) – After six months, it’s not right to make any comments on the new AL’s work.

MDT – Do you think powers are balanced in the 4th AL?
S.C. – That’s no longer my job. You should ask the acting president. I always believed that when one steps down from a post, one has to totally disconnect. Otherwise, the one that steps in cannot work. It only creates confusion and difficulties. What I’m doing today [the foundation] is my today’s job and what was past is past.

‘Democracy should come gradually and slowly. I have certain doubts for the one person, one vote system. Even in the US, their system is not one person, one vote.’

MDT – Still, you have created a blog, where usually you post comments on Macau politics and social affairs…
S.C. – Well, this is normal. I’m an ordinary resident living in this society. Whatever happens, I have the same feelings regarding the Government as an ordinary resident. I just express what I think is right to me.
During this time [after retiring from AL], I have been writing. When I was very young, my teachers told me I could be a very good writer. But I didn’t write in Chinese for around 14 years, because I didn’t have time. Now that I have spare time, I write about things that happen in my life, good memories, some touching stories, things deep inside, my feelings about what happens in my life, and also what I feel as a resident. Writing is a time consumer. It occupies my free time.

MDT – As an ordinary resident, what are your major concerns?
S.C. – Well, my major concerns are the same as all residents. If you are a resident you have to be concerned whether the society is healthy or people living here are happy…

MDT – Are there any issues that concern you the most?
S.C. – I think that Macau has been booming during the last 10 years. It became very rich and a big international city. In normal circumstances, Macau people should be happy. But, unfortunately, I feel that Macau people are not as happy as they should be.

The former president of the Legislative Assembly’s is currently running her foundation, called Tong Chai Charity Association

MDT – Why is that?
S.C. – I don’t know. That is an issue that every Macau resident should think about. Everyone has to make an effort to make this society better. And the Government should find out why our people have become more aggressive and unhappy, even though there is more money now and our city has become more international.

MDT – Are you trying to say that all this wealth that came from the gaming industry is not being well shared with Macau people, leading to their unhappiness?
S.C. – Those are your words, not mine. Macau Government did well regarding the gaming industry, because the Portuguese Administration didn’t leave us much money, as everybody knows. If I am not wrong, they [the Portuguese Administration] only left us a half year of the civil servant’s payments. So it was really necessary to break down the gaming monopoly, because gaming brings a lot of money and Macau needed money to grow. It was the right step.
But now, Macau has already become rich, so the Government has to realize that money is not everything. People have other needs besides money. Of course, everybody wants to make more money and have a better life, but apart from that, people need something else, intellectually and spiritually speaking.

‘The Government should find out why our people have become more aggressive and unhappy, even if there is more money now and our city became more international.’

MDT – Last May 1 demonstrations ended up in clashes between protesters and police. What were the costs to Macau’s image?
S.C. – I wrote an article about the young people’s participation, which was calm and peaceful. That was perfect. But, I feel sorry that there were two different demonstrations. It’s correct for people to demonstrate their opinions and desires, but I’m always against the use of force. I did not see the news, but according with what I was told, I’m quite sad that people using the national flag and wearing t-shirts with Mao Tse-Tung got involved in clashes with the police… Our national flag is supposed to be respected. Even if you are a foreigner, you have to respect the Chinese national flag. As a Chinese, if you don’t respect our country, you don’t respect anything.

MDT – In your viewpoint, what could have lead people to behave like that?
S.C. – I don’t know. I think it’s our right to tell others what we think. We are free. But why use force? There is no need.

MDT – Beside other issues, protesters demanded full democracy in Macau by 2017. Do you think Macau society is ready to go ahead with that process?
S.C. – I don’t think I’m quite prepared to express my opinions on this issue. For me, democracy should come gradually and slowly. I have certain doubts for the one person, one vote system. Even in the US, their system is not one person, one vote. Look at Taiwan. They are Chinese, as I am, and I feel sorry to see certain images in Taiwan’s assembly. I’m not anti-democracy, but I think it should come slowly. Only when everyone knows what democracy is, may we have it.

‘As AL’s president I had a special role in my life. I had a special job. And… it was a job full of challenges.’

MDT – Regarding the new Government, you were one of several voices that stood up in favour of the division of some Government departments. However, the new Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On decided to keep the five secretaries. Was it the right decision?
S.C. – Everything has a right timing. Everyone has the right of having opinions and I haven’t changed mine. I think we should have more secretaries. But, during the last ten years, the number of civil servants has grown so fast. Is it really necessary? That’s what I’m asking myself. To create more secretaries doesn’t mean we have to increase the number of our civil servants. Now, just like in the past 10 years, one secretary has to care about many, many things. I don’t think anyone [secretaries] can finish their jobs within a reasonable time frame, because they are also ordinary persons.

MDT – Do you mean that the Government is not managing its human resources well?
S.C. – What I mean is that the Government should go and see such increase during the last years and make a full study. According to current numbers, the percentage of our civil servants, proportionally to our population number, is much higher than our neighbours. It’s true that our economy boomed and our society became bigger, but is it necessary for [the Administration] to increase that much? This is what our Government should study and reflect about. In my opinion, I have always been considered a good manager. In my company, or in the AL during 10 years, I didn’t increase much our personnel. But what we have done is much more than the previous did. I just have brought in one secretary [in the AL] and I haven’t sent anyone away, but we have doubled our job.

MDT – Now that you are working in the social affairs area, what do you think about the new secretary for Social and Cultural Affairs Cheong U’s performance?
S.C. – I don’t make any comments on a particular person. This is a rule.