Macau has lost some of its ‘local flavours’ these days, Hong Kong’s former financial secretary, John Tsang, wrote on his social media account.
Tsang, best known for being the longest-serving financial secretary in the neighbouring special administrative region, made the remark on Sunday after a recent trip to Macau, accompanied by a ‘long-time friend’ who works for a casino resort.
It was because of this connection that he managed to get a taste of Macau’s opulence, Tsang wrote.
‘The luxury level of the new mega-hotels in Macau rivals Dubai’s,’ he said on his Facebook account, referring to the integrated resorts he toured.
‘I visited a few recently where standard rooms cost around two to three thousand a night,’ he went on.
However, it was the top-tier suites costing over MOP100,000 (US$12,348) a night that raised the eyebrows of the prominent former Hong Kong government official.
‘They have everything you could imagine: a private pool, a terrace, a gym, and even a karaoke room,’ he continued.
‘They’re a staggering 7,500 square feet; the size is honestly a bit ridiculous.’
He added, ‘Who could afford to rent such places? I think we all know the answer to that question.’
In his commentary, the founder of Esperanza, a non-profit organisation focused on initiatives surrounding innovation-driven education, also expressed surprise over Macau’s high-stakes gaming environment.
‘I took a walk around their casino, and I saw that the minimum bets at the gambling tables were at least two thousand, with some even starting as high as 10,000,’ he wrote.
Foreign faces, including those from the Philippines, India, and Vietnam, were another changing aspect of Macau society that struck Tsang, with him describing Macau as ‘no longer a place for its locals’.
‘Out on the streets in Macau, about one in four people I saw was a foreign worker,’ he said.
‘It was no surprise that it felt as if the city had lost some of its local flavour.’
