Angela Leong On Kei, a co-chair and executive director of Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd., will run unchallenged for another term as a member of Macau’s Legislative Assembly. According to GGRAsia, “This means she is basically guaranteed to be elected.”
The news outlet reports that Leong will participate in an indirect-election process through constituencies that represent various economic and social sectors. Each group will elect between one to four legislators. Leong will run in the constituency representing culture and sports, which will elect two legislators.
The election will be held on September 12.
Leong was the fourth wife of the late Stanley, founder of SJM Holdings, and has been a directly-elected Macau legislator since 2005. Assuming her reelection, she will be in office until at least 2025. Among the topics likely to be presented to the new Legislative Assembly is the revision of Macau’s gaming law.
The city’s current six gaming concessions are due to expire in June 2022 unless authorities call for an extension.
In related news, gaming labor activist Cloee Chao Sao Fong will head an election ticket as well. Her ticket includes other casino workers seeking directly-elected legislator seats. She ran unsuccessfully in 2017.
Chao, head of the New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association, has promised to “advocate casino workers’ rights and benefits.
“The gaming concessions are expiring, and this situation coincides with the Covid-19 pandemic. So our worry is that… the demand for casino staff will dwindle… and [that] when the gaming concessions’ rights are refreshed, the casino firms will seek to cut the number of staff.”
