The current-term Government launched the Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance in 2023 to openly recognise meritorious and exemplary civil service teams or individuals, encouraging them to constantly strive for excellence and showcasing more clearly to the public the Government’s work and the excellence of the civil service. After thorough consideration, the high-level Selection Committee of the Government put forward their recommendations to the Chief Executive for his decision, and the HKSAR Search and Rescue Team and the Inter-departmental Preparation Team for KTSP Commissioning are the winning teams under the new round of Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance. This is the first time that two award-winning teams are granted the award at the same time since launching of the Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Lee praised the two award-winning teams for having demonstrated their respective strengths, which not only set an example for the entire civil service, but also manifested the HKSAR Government’s spirit of pursuing excellence and fearlessly taking on challenges. They told good stories of civil servants that all people are proud of through their actions.

The HKSAR Search and Rescue Team consisted of civil servants from the Security Bureau (SB), the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Immigration Department (ImmD), as well as medical representatives from the Hospital Authority. In March 2025, a major earthquake struck Myanmar, resulting in serious casualties. The HKSAR Search and Rescue Team rushed to Mantalay, one of the most devastated areas in Myanmar, to conduct search and rescue operations. The team completed 61 search and rescue operations covering 57 locations amid constant aftershocks and scorching heat in the disaster-stricken areas, and conducted joint operations with the China Search and Rescue Team, successfully rescuing one survivor who had been trapped for more than 125 hours, and excavated two bodies from the debris. Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Search and Rescue Team participated in the international humanitarian rescue mission for the second time. The team has drawn experience from the search and rescue work in quake-stricken areas in Türkiye in 2023, and has established an effective collaboration mechanism with the China Search and Rescue Team, using artificial intelligence and cutting-edge equipment to enhance the accuracy and efficiency in conducting search and rescue operations. He commended the HKSAR Search and Rescue Team members for their tenacity, professionalism and outstanding teamwork. The spirit of international humanitarianism and selfless dedication have been fully demonstrated.

KTSP is the largest sports infrastructure project commissioned in Hong Kong. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), SB, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Transport Department (TD) formed an inter-departmental preparation team, and completed around 20 test events, including five large-scale drills, in just five months, mobilising about 140 000 civil servants to participate in the stress tests to evaluate the capability of KTSP and its surrounding facilities comprehensively, so as to become fully prepared for the grand opening ceremony on 1 March this year and the subsequent large-scale events.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Lee praised the Preparation Team for demonstrating exceptional organisational capabilities and meticulous professional deployment in conducting the stress tests to thoroughly evaluate the capability of KTSP and its surrounding facilities. It also fully embodied the team spirit of “One Government” and overcame various challenges, making full preparation for the smooth opening of KTSP and successfully establishing KTSP as a world-class venue for major events.

Mr Lee said, “Hong Kong’s ranking of second globally and first in Asia in the ‘Government efficiency’ section of the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 underlines the outstanding competence and effective performance of Hong Kong’s civil servants. I will continue to strengthen the system to enable officials to better utilise their proactive leadership capability so that the civil service can bring out their efficiency and potential to the fullest and realise the Government’s result-oriented policy initiatives through action.”

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan, extended heartfelt congratulations to the two teams for being awarded the Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance. She said, “I am so delighted that CSB colleagues receive this award for the first time. Despite difficulties and challenges, they accomplished the tasks assigned and manifested seamless teamwork, setting a role model for civil servants. My warmest congratulations go to all awardees. I hope that other colleagues in the civil service will learn from the winning teams, and continue to uphold professionalism and strive for excellence.”