Mr Lee recalls his first encounter with gangsters when he was a primary school student, "I was playing with my friends and catching fighting spiders on a hillside one day, and we suddenly came across some gangsters who threatened us with a knife, punched us in the chest and took all our money. While I was a kid then, I began to realise the importance of law and order to the community and its people." Prompted by this incident, and coupled with a growing interest in investigation work, Mr Lee joined the Force in 1977 and started his lifelong career for the important mission of upholding law and order of the community.

There were many unforgettable moments as well as unforgettable cases for Mr Lee during his service as a police officer. Looking back at the times in the Force, Mr Lee said that the case of Cheung Tze-keung, a gangster nicknamed "Big Spender" who headed a Hong Kong crime syndicate, was one of the most prominent cases that he had handled. He reflected, "Cheung kidnapped and extorted well-off and high-profile individuals and kept more than 800 kilograms of hidden explosives in a remote place in the northern New Territories. The Police had to carry out 24/7 surveillance duties over a protracted period with a view to monitoring the gang's exact whereabouts. As members of the gang were notoriously reckless and impulsive, we had to be extremely careful in planning and executing every detail of the operation in order to capture the gang while ensuring the safety of our team and other fellow citizens. Finally, with meticulous planning, nerves of steel and team effort, we made a successful operation to capture the culprits and the explosives on the spot, and dealt a serious blow to the gang."

Mr Lee (right) participated in a street signature campaign in support of the Decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security by the National People's Congress.

Mr Lee was promoted to the post of Deputy Commissioner in 2010, before leaving the civil service and taking up the appointment as the Under Secretary for Security in 2012. He was appointed the Secretary for Security in 2017. He compared his roles in the Force and the Security Bureau (SB), "In the disciplined service department, the focus is very much on the missions and outcomes. With detailed planning, the chances of successful execution are high, with a fairly immediate and direct positive impact on the public. Policy making in SB is relatively more complex in nature with less immediate but longer-term impact on the public. The process also requires collaboration with and balance of interests among different stakeholders."

Mr Lee's experience in the Force laid a solid foundation for developing his extremely resilient mindset in dealing with wide-ranging challenges. He noted, "The decision-making skills developed during my days in the Force are particularly useful in my current position. I constantly encounter situations in which I need to weigh up the pros and cons of different strategies and make tough yet pragmatic decisions in upholding law and order for Hong Kong."

On the enactment and implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (the National Security Law) on 30 June 2020, Mr Lee remarked, "Hong Kong was wrecked by violence since a year ago. The violent events were triggered not merely by some people in Hong Kong, but there was also foreign intervention.

Mr Lee (right) visited the "restricted area" in Jordan to show his support to colleagues from the Correctional Services Department.

The failure of the HKSAR Government in enacting legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law has left a loophole for national security threats. We are pleased to see the enactment of the National Security Law by the National People's Congress, which has successfully restored stability and order in Hong Kong and driven away the overseas elements. However, we must still stay vigilant to threats which may endanger national security. The Government will adopt short, medium and long term strategies to continuously safeguard national security and maintain law and order in Hong Kong."

Mr Lee highlighted, "With the implementation of the National Security Law, we have seen less public order offences and vandalism of public facilities. Statistics show that within five months after its implementation, the number of public events related criminal offences had reduced sharply by about 50%, with a continued steady decline to date. One of the biggest challenges we now face is to rebuild the public’s law-abiding awareness. The Government is working on this together with stakeholders across Hong Kong society and is, for example, ramping up collaborations and initiatives with schools and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The school programme rolled out under the 3-billion Beat Drugs Fund is a case in point."

At a time when Hong Kong is fighting the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the combat against the epidemic is surely another key priority for SB and the departments. Mr Lee continued, "The fight against COVID-19 is an urgent task. We have deployed some 2,000 civil servants from the six disciplined services and two auxiliary forces to support the Government's anti-epidemic work. Our colleagues have played a critical role in various areas such as quarantine execution, law enforcement, contact tracing, mask production, compulsory testing operations at specified "restricted area", etc. Volunteer teams formed by our officers have also helped to set up the quarantine centres including installing equipment and moving furniture upstairs without lifts at Chun Yeung Estate. I would like to thank all colleagues and the volunteer teams for their great efforts and contributions in helping to fight the epidemic."

There is at present only one land boundary control point (BCP) at Huanggang / Lok Ma Chau between Hong Kong and Shenzhen which operates on 24-hour basis. To enhance the connectivity between Hong Kong and Shenzhen as well as other cities in the Greater Bay Area, the Government is taking active measures to enhance cross-boundary traffic flow further. Mr Lee said, "The Government is working closely with the Mainland authorities to strengthen, revitalise and realign all its land BCPs. The move seeks to direct cargo traffic to the east and west sides of Hong Kong with Shenzhen – the Liantang / Heung Yuen Wai Control Point in the east and the Shenzhen Bay Port in the west, both operating on 24-hour basis. The remaining three BCPs, namely the Huanggang / Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok BCPs, will mainly be used for passenger traffic, save for vegetable and live food trucks which can continue to use the Man Kam To Control Point for inspection purposes."

Mr Lee said, "In 2019, there were around 200 million people and 7 million cargo trucks crossing the boundary. This realignment of BCPs will not only help reduce traffic congestion in central Shenzhen, but will also create better synergy so that passengers will enjoy a much faster Customs, Immigration, Quarantine (CIQ) service."

The Huanggang Port will undergo a major redevelopment, and the existing facilities and transportation support will be upgraded under the project. A Mainland Port Area and a Hong Kong Port Area will be co-located in the same building to enhance clearance efficiency. The CIQ service facilities currently located in Lok Ma Chau will then be relocated to the Hong Kong Port Area of the new Huanggang Port to facilitate passenger flow. Mr Lee said, "The Huanggang Port project may also serve as a model for revitalising the Lo Wu Control Point in future."

The Government has been working hard to address the problems arising from non-refoulement claims made by illegal immigrants and overstayers. Mr Lee talked about the challenges of the need to process a large number of such cases each year, "Many claimants abuse the system, and even after the Immigration Department has examined the cases in detail and found them unsubstantiated, the claimants will further abuse the appeal procedure by procrastinating to extend the claims process."

Mr Lee elaborated, "Some claimants indicate that they have psychological issues due to torture in their home country and are referred to the hospital for professional assessment. However, they may refute the doctor's professional opinions, fail to turn up for scheduled medical board meetings, or refuse to provide related medical reports, thus making it difficult for Immigration Officers to assess whether they are subject to the torture as alleged. Others may allege that they cannot understand English and request for an interpreter for translation to their native language, when in reality they use English on day-to-day basis." Mr Lee further pointed out, "For a person to be repatriated, it is essential to verify the validity of his travel document with the relevant Consul General, but at present this verification can only start after the case has been entirely resolved. In the event that the claimant is procrastinating, the whole process will be extended. The Government will seek amendments to the Immigration Ordinance to address these problems so as to improve efficiency in case processing."

Records show that 99% of non-refoulement claimants cases in Hong Kong are found to be unsubstantiated, with such cases being economically rather than politically motivated. Mr Lee added, "Many claimants enter Hong Kong to look for better employment opportunities, as on average they would be able to earn two to four times the wage that they could make in their home countries, or even up to 20 times for some who come from remote rural communities. There are obvious incentives for such parties to come to Hong Kong for a living. To help prevent these economic emigrants from entering Hong Kong, the proposed amendments will also empower the Secretary for Security to request airlines to provide passenger manifests before the planes take off, so that any people suspected to be coming for making non-refoulement claims may be refused boarding on the flights to Hong Kong in the first place."

With over 10,000 aged buildings that have fire safety facilities not up to the current standard, it has always been a key priority of the Government to enhance fire safety in buildings, yet there is a need to overcome a number of challenges. Mr Lee said, "Firstly, the fire safety responsibility lies with the building owners. While the Government has launched the $5.5 billion Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme to subsidise building owners to undertake the required fire safety improvement works for around 6,500 buildings built before 1987, some buildings do not have sufficient physical space to retrofit water tanks on the roof. Moreover, in some cases, the owners may not be able to agree among themselves on the location of the newly installed fire safety facilities, whereas in some other cases, there may be no Owners' Corporation to help manage multiple owners or the owners cannot be located at all. In the face of these challenges, the Government will examine how, in exceptional circumstances, to intervene and conduct the fire safety improvement work of the aged buildings, and then require the owners to shoulder related costs."

Mr Lee (left 15) accompanied the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam (centre) to visit the headquarters of the Government Flying Service.

Mr Lee said that the Fire Services Department (FSD) has adopted a pragmatic approach in helping building owners meet the fire safety standards, "FSD is now providing greater flexibility to enable the aged buildings to meet the minimum fire safety standard. For example, a 2,000 cubic metres water tank was initially required for all six-storey buildings, whereas now, in areas that can be readily accessible by FSD fire trucks, the water tank size can be reduced to 500 cubic metres, which is sufficient to control fire spread before firemen arrive at the fire scene. Three-storey buildings are also allowed to use sufficiently-powered pumps instead of installation of a water tank."

To maintain social order, young people who have violated the law must be given the right message on the importance of being law-abiding citizens. The Government is taking numerous measures to help rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Mr Lee affirmed, "For arrestees under the age of 18 who have expressed contrition and are not involved in serious offences, the Police can consider cautioning them under the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme in place of criminal prosecution with a view to facilitating the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders — allowing them a second chance and avoiding them from getting a criminal conviction. The juvenile offenders would normally be under supervision for two years, with the support from NGOs, social workers and their families." This early intervention and rehabilitation for juvenile offenders helps engender in them a new value system and a positive roadmap for their lives. Mr Lee highlighted its success, with the recidivism rate down to single digits of around 6 to 9%, as compared with 20 to 40% for prisoners.

Mr Lee added, "From a holistic perspective of juvenile development, education is also an important part. The Education Bureau has issued guidelines to schools to enhance students’ law-abiding awareness, especially after the implementation of the National Security Law. The Government has also enhanced public education in this respect via social media, traditional media and publications. NGOs, social workers, academics, artists, as well as key opinion leaders and media, who have strong influence on young people, can all help as well."

Mr Lee (second right) inspected the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Fire Station Cum Ambulance Depot.

As the Government strives to promote innovation and technology development, the disciplined services departments have also been sparing no efforts in leveraging new technology to enhance their management efficiency and services to the public. Mr Lee said, "The Force is using handheld devices for scanning vehicle's license plate and automatic printing of fixed penalty ticket for illegal parking, which help eliminate human errors in traditional handwritten tickets. This is much faster and automatically creates a legal record, including the exact time and location of the offence. The Customs and Excise Department makes use of big data as a risk assessment tool to identify cargoes which should be inspected among the massive volume of cargo traffic every day. The Correctional Services Department (CSD) has been developing the ‘Smart Prison’ concept in modernising the correctional facilities. Electronic tags worn by prisoners can track their real-time locations and medical conditions including their heart rates. This helps CSD staff to identify certain vital signs and check on the prisoners timely to immediately intervene on suspected suicidal cases. As for the Immigration Department, apart from the existing e-Channel services, the self-service departure clearance service ("Smart Departure") speeds up immigration clearance for visitors departing Hong Kong through face-recognition technology." Mr Lee added, "Radio frequency identification tracking system and Internet of Things are adopted by FSD for asset tracking and monitoring of dangerous goods, including chemicals and explosives. The Government Flying Service also uses the latest radar and infrared systems to help search and rescue missions. Going forward, we will continue to encourage the disciplined services departments to make good use of innovation and technology in delivering our work."

When not at work, Mr Lee enjoys practising qi gong (氣功) (which literally translates as "cultivating chi"), a deep breathing technique that helps with meditation. He explained, "Once upon a time, I used to get tired and sick quite easily, and despite going to both Chinese and Western doctors, found no cures. Then, I stumbled upon qi gong and have been practising it for over 20 years now. If I ever become overloaded with work, I will take time out for around 30 minutes to an hour of qi gong. It is a fantastic long-term investment that helps both my physical and mental health."

On the future of Hong Kong, Mr Lee said, "I have strong confidence that Hong Kong can overcome the present challenges and see lights in the right direction." Mr Lee encouraged all civil service colleagues, as backbone of the Government, to walk an extra mile and make further contributions, "While there may always be diverse views on government policies, it is important for us all to make a sound judgement on the feedback received from the stakeholders. We need to carefully reflect on these comments and then take pragmatic measures to improve our service further. I am confident that our civil service, with its professionalism and dedication, will rise to the challenges and continue to provide staunch support for the effective governance of our community."