The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, received 19 fight crime ambassadors at Government House on July 14, and wished them a rewarding trip to Australia in the following week.

The young ambassadors are the winners of the secondary school, post secondary school and youth service agency categories of the "Hang Seng Bank - Help the Police Fight Youth Crime Competition 2008". They left for Australia on July 22, to visit police departments, schools and youth organisations in Sydney and Melbourne during their eight-day trip.

Praising the fight crime ambassadors for their outstanding performance in the competition, Mr Tsang said they had shown brilliant leadership and analytical skills.

As the theme of this year's competition was "Combating Psychotropic Drug Abuse Among Young People", he appealed to the community to make the fight against youth crime more successful. For example, families could encourage young people to fight crime while social organisations could organise activities for the community, he noted.

Congratulating the ambassadors, Mr Tsang said: "I wish you a rewarding trip to Australia. You should shine not only for yourselves or your schools but also for Hong Kong. You should illustrate Hong Kong's vibrancy, youngsters' moral values and our determination to do our best."

CP officiates at prize presentation

The biennial "Hang Seng Bank - Help the Police Fight Youth Crime Competition" was organised by the Police Public Relations Branch with sponsorship from Hang Seng Bank. Featuring web games, essay writing, tests in leadership skills and project presentations in youth crime, it was aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle among youngsters, heightening their awareness of crime prevention and encouraging them to help the police fight youth crime. A record number of more than 130,000 entries have been received.

Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner Tang King-shing wished the ambassadors a fruitful trip to Australia, and reminded them of their roles.

"As you're enjoying the harvest of your efforts today, you're also shouldering a great responsibility. Being fight crime ambassadors, you can contribute to the fight against youth crime. You can set good examples for your peers and help enhance their vigilance against drugs and crimes," CP said.

Also officiating at the ceremony, the Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, Mr Joseph Poon, said: "Hang Seng Bank is pleased to have sponsored this important competition for the eighth consecutive time. It is encouraging to see a record number of entries, which suggest that more young people are concerned about fighting crime. Together with our highly efficient Hong Kong Police, we are committed to promoting a positive and healthy lifestyle among young people."