Sam Hou Fai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Hou Fai
岑浩輝
Sam in 2019
4th Chief Executive of Macau
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 December 2024
President	Xi Jinping
Premier	Li Qiang
Preceded by	Ho Iat Seng
President of the Court of Final Appeal of Macau
In office 20 December 1999 – 28 August 2024
Appointed by	Edmund Ho
Succeeded by	Song Man Lei
Personal details
Born	Cen Haohui May 1962 (1962-05) (age 63) Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
Citizenship	Chinese
Children	2
Residence	Macau
Education	Peking University (LLB) University of Coimbra
Occupation	Judge

Sam Hou Fai (Chinese: 岑浩輝) is a very important leader in Macau. He became the Chief Executive of Macau in December 2024. Before this, he was the first President of the Court of Final Appeal of Macau, which is the highest court in Macau, China.

Early Life and Education

Sam Hou Fai was born in May 1962 in Zhongshan, China. He grew up there. In 1978, he started university. He then studied law and earned his law degree from Peking University in Mainland China.

After working as a lawyer in China, he moved to Macau in 1986. He continued his studies at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. In 1995, he joined the Public Prosecutions Office in Macau. Sam Hou Fai is seen as one of the important officials chosen to help lead Macau in the future.

Legal Career

In 1997, Sam Hou Fai became a judge at the Court of First Instance. This is a court where cases are heard for the first time. Later, he was chosen to be a member of the Council of Justice.

On December 20, 1999, the Chief Executive appointed him as the President of the Court of Final Appeal. This is the highest court in Macau. He also held other important roles, like being the President of the Council of Judicial Magistrates. During his time as president, he was the main judge for a big case involving corruption.

Political Career

Sam Hou Fai declares his candidacy, August 28, 2024

On August 26, 2024, the previous Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, announced that Sam Hou Fai was stepping down from his role as President of the Court of Final Appeal. This was because Sam Hou Fai planned to run in the 2024 Chief Executive election. He officially announced his plan to run on August 28, 2024.

Sam Hou Fai received support from many people. He got 386 out of 400 nominations from the Electoral Committee. This meant he was the only candidate for the election. On October 13, he received 394 out of 400 votes in the election. This made him the first Chief Executive of Macau who was born in Mainland China and did not come from a business background.

Political Views

Economic Policy

Sam Hou Fai has talked about Macau's economy. He mentioned that the many casinos, or "gaming centres," grew very quickly. He said this growth sometimes happened without much planning. He explained that this rapid growth made it hard to find enough workers. It also limited the job choices for young people in Macau. He believes Macau should find other ways to grow its economy, not just rely on casinos.

Sam Hou Fai has promised to help local businesses grow for a long time. He also believes that working closely with China's overall plans for growth is very important for Macau's future.

See also

In Spanish: Sam Hou Fai para niños