Article 23 state secrets move 'holds no fear for civil service'

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said yesterday that the proposed inclusion of offenses related to the protection of state secrets, as outlined in the article 23 consultation paper, will not increase the pressure on civil servants.

Civil servants, she said, already adhere to the principle of confidentiality and are only permitted to use confidential information within the approved scope of their work.

"The proposed offenses will not impose additional burdens on civil servants, as they are already accustomed to handling sensitive information with care," Yeung said.

"Civil servants have always been very careful, and there will be no changes in the future."

Yeung also reiterated that the recently updated civil service code, which prohibits criticism of official policies, means civil servants may still be in violation of the code even if they make comments in a "private occasion."

Yeung pointed specifically to senior civil servants as needing to exercise caution in this regard.

She also made it plain that no reward system would be set up to get the public to file complaints against civil servants who violate the code. "The more senior civil servants should be more careful," she said.

More than 40 view submissions have been received from the public on the matter, she said, and the finalized draft of the code will be announced as soon as possible after making necessary amendments to certain wordings.

Yeung was speaking as the Education Bureau announced the opening of applications for the third round of the Basic Law and national security law test from 9 am today to 5pm on February 29.

The test is scheduled for April 6, and individuals with a bachelor's degree or those who will obtain a bachelor's degree in the 2023/24 or 2024/25 academic year and are planning to join or switch to a teaching position in a secondary school, primary school, or kindergarten can apply through the bureau's online application system.

The limited places for the test will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Arrangements will be announced in due course for the fourth round of the test, which will be open to non-degree holders, held on June 16, and the fifth round for degree holders to be held on July 20.