Macau | New Macau Association members believe new office will allow the organisation to work closely with Macau citizens

Macau (MNA) – The New Macau Association (NMA) has inaugurated its new office this weekend, with current and former members of the organisation considering the new area will allow the political association to work closely with Macau citizens.

Previously located at Calçada de Santo Agostinho near Nam Vam Lake, the association has now relocated to Rua do Tarrafeiro near the Inner Harbour.

“[The new office] is located in a new neighbourhood which we look forward to build a relationship with. It was also one of the worse hit [neighbourhoods] by Typhoon Hato,” the association former President, Scott Chiang told Macau News Agency (MNA).

A sentiment Legislator Sulu Sou Ka Hou also shared, telling MNA the new office location at the Barra area would allow the association to be closer to the citizens and “understand their ideas more”

The previous office was owned by a relative of legislator Ng Kuok Cheng – a former member of NMA – with an increase in the rent from MOP5,000 to MOP9,000 being one of the motives for the relocation.

On January 9, NMA started a 90-days crowdfunding campaign at platform FringeBacker, with the goal of raising some HK$300,000 (US$37,236) to support its operations.

As of this Sunday the campaign had managed to raise HK$107,000 or 35 per cent of the final goal, from 97 backers.

“Macau citizens are not used to donate to politics organisations, so it’s difficult for us. Anyway, it’s a good beginning,” Sulu Sou told MNA.

Despite the Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) having voted to suspend Sulu Sou’s mandate as a legislator in order for him to face trial for qualified disobedience – with Scott Chiang also a defendant on the case – the legislator still maintained its income.

Sulu Sou’s legislator salary and subsidies received were one of the organisation’s main sources of income but were still considered insufficient to support NMA, prompting the on-going crowdfunding campaign.

“It will be up to the society to decide if the association can afford its survival in the future,” Mr. Chiang told MNA