HONG KONG, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Macau's top judge, Sam Hou Fai, said on Wednesday he intends to run in October's chief executive election, as the world's biggest gambling hub seeks to transform itself into a major regional tourist destination.
The announcement comes after Sam, who has served as president of the supreme court of Macau, a special administrative region of China, since 1999, stepped down from his position this week.
He is expected to be the only candidate to receive permission from a 400-member pro-China committee to run in the small, wealthy former Portuguese colony's elections on October 13.
Other candidates have yet to declare their nominations. Incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has said he will not run for a second term for health reasons.
Mr Sam, 62, a native of southern China's Guangdong province and fluent in Portuguese after studying at Portugal's Coimbra University, would be the first non-Macau native to hold the position if approved by Beijing.
Some experts say Mr Sam's lack of economic experience could hinder his ability to transform Macau into an integrated tourism and leisure hub rather than just a gambling destination.
“It seems ridiculous to think that the chief justice of the Supreme Court should be a suitable chief executive, but you have to remember that Macau is a small city of 650,000 people,” said Anthony Laurens, founder of consultancy Intelligence Macau.
Other experts said Mr Sam's ties to Portugal could help boost commerce and trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as Beijing wants to turn Macau into a cultural hub.
Casino operators said they would be paying close attention to who Sam appoints to his government if elected, particularly for Treasury secretary, who would oversee the casino industry.
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Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Miral Fahmy
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