New Police Graduates Urged to Be Guardians of Peace in Hong Kong

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Yip Wan-lung, inspected the passing-out parade of 34 probationary inspectors and 187 recruit police constables at the Hong Kong Police College today (December 20), and witnessed them joining the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) to shoulder the noble mission of safeguarding Hong Kong and protecting citizens.

In his address, Mr Yip said that upon officially taking up frontline duties, graduates must bear in mind that they are not merely law enforcers, but also guardians ensuring a peaceful and safe living environment for the citizens. He hoped they would embody the professional spirit of "going the extra mile" and "thinking more carefully and deeply".

He highlighted that, in response to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last month, various government units worked in concert to provide comprehensive support to affected victims throughout rescue and recovery efforts. The HKPF also mobilised a significant number of officers to assist in rescue operation and follow-up relief work, and conduct investigation.

He said police officers tried to promptly ascertain the status of missing persons for the distressed families, sparing them enduring regret. Professional investigation has been initiated with a view to holding those responsible accountable and upholding justice. Officers endured psychological stress in the search for bodies at the fire scene. They also maintained order to facilitate citizens who wished to pay their respects, while remaining vigilant against a small minority of ill-intentioned individuals seeking to exploit the disaster to sow discord, divide society, or even disrupt emergency recovery efforts. He described these police tasks as profoundly meaningful yet immensely challenging.

He pointed out that, by staying united and steadfast in carrying out their duties, Force members completed a large-scale search operation, which was originally expected to take several weeks, in approximately one week. This once again demonstrated the HKPF's spirit of "rising to the challenges and emerging even stronger".

Mr Yip concluded that policing has always been a demanding profession, marked by unforeseeable challenges, weighty responsibilities and a long journey ahead. He urged the graduates to stay committed to their original aspiration and to uphold the spirit of "rising to the challenges and emerging even stronger" when facing future challenges. He emphasised that it should serve as the driving force inspiring them to shoulder their mission with dedication, to strive forward with renewed vigour, and to pursue excellence.

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Deputy Commissioner of Police encourages graduates to jointly safeguard Hong Kong citizens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hospital Authority's statement regarding suspected incident of patient data being leaked on third-party platform

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) made the following statement today (April 4) regarding the suspected incident of patient data being leaked on a third-party platform:

The HA's routine monitoring system detected at around 2am yesterday (April 3) a suspected case of patient data being taken without authorisation and leaked on a third-party platform. The HA promptly reported the matter to the Police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in the morning, and will fully co-operate with the Police investigation and actions.

The more than 56 000 patients involved in the incident are from the Kowloon East Cluster. The leaked data contains information including patients' names, gender, Hong Kong identity card numbers, hospital file numbers, and details of surgical procedures.

The HA sincerely apologises to the affected patients and will take all practicable measures to minimise the impact on patients. The HA will notify the affected patients via the "HA Go" mobile application, mail and phone calls as soon as possible. The Kowloon East Cluster has also set up a dedicated hotline at 5215 7326 for patient enquiries. The hotline operates Monday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Patients may also leave messages outside of hotline operating hours and staff will respond as soon as possible.

The HA takes cybersecurity very seriously, and has conducted a thorough review of its internal network systems upon discovering the incident, confirming that the systems are operating normally and securely, with no indication of a cyberattack or similar factors. The HA immediately suspended the contractor's system maintenance work.

The HA has been continuously implementing various measures to strengthen its healthcare systems, including ongoing enhancements to cybersecurity safeguards, user security awareness, cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, as well as network monitoring and incident response capabilities. The HA will also collaborate with law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity organisations to enhance cybersecurity, so as to ensure appropriate protection of hospital operations, patient services, and personal data security. The HA also urges affected patients to remain vigilant and be alert to whether their personal data may be used for other purposes, take steps to protect their personal data such as changing passwords, and seek police assistance if necessary.

Source: AI-found images