Sam Hou-fai, head of the Macao Special Administrative Region’s highest court, resigned on Monday after revealing earlier that he is interested in running for the city’s top government post.

Effective from Wednesday, Sam will step down from his current positions as president of Macao's Court of Final Appeal and as a Macao CFA judge, and as a member of the independent commission for the recommendation of judges for the city, according to Executive Order No 44/2024 published in Macao’s official gazette.

The order was issued by Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng on Monday morning.

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Earlier, Ho, who took office in 2019, said he will not seek a second term because of health reasons and expressed his deep gratitude for the support he has received from the central government and the various sectors of the city he serves. His five-year tenure as Macao’s top official is set to end in December.

Sam told local media on Thursday that he was considering standing to be elected as chief executive, adding that he is motivated by the desire to serve the people of Macao.

The Chief Executive Election Law of Macao stipulates that major officials and judicial officers seeking election as chief executive must resign their positions before the nomination period begins.

Jorge Chiang, head of the Macau Institutionalism Association and the Macao Lotus Commerce Association, has also expressed an interest in standing for election.

The election of Macao’s sixth-term chief executive is slated for Oct 13, with the nomination period beginning on Thursday.

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According to Annex I of the Macao Basic Law, the city’s top official is elected by a 400-member committee that broadly reflects the city’s diverse sectors, and each candidate must be nominated by at least 66 members of the committee to be accepted in the leadership race.

Born on the Chinese mainland in 1962, Sam began working within Macao’s judicial system in 1995 after studying law at the Peking University and the University of Coimbra in Portugal.

Sam was appointed by the central government to head Macao’s top court when the city returned to the motherland in 1999, a position he has occupied since.

Contact the writer at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com