Extremely Disappointed With Legco Row: John Lee

Security Secretary John Lee said on Wednesday that he's "extremely disappointed" with lawmakers' delaying tactics at the first meeting of the bills committee that is to vet planned changes to extradition laws.

He said it was regretful that the two-hour meeting ended without lawmakers even managing to elect a chairman for the panel.

"In my memory, it hasn't happened before. The government is very serious about this proposal because there's an urgency to this matter," Lee said.

He called on lawmakers to hold a "rational discussion" on the issue.

The authorities say they want the law changes to arrange one-off extradition deals on a case-by-case basis, in particular to allow a murder suspect to be sent back to Taiwan to face trial over the murder of his Hong Kong girlfriend.

"We urge every member of the bills committee to allow a rational discussion so that views will be heard and explanations can be given for the final decision by Legco," he said.

He warned that similar cases could happen again.

"We now lack the law and also lack a practicable solution to deal with similar serious cases which can happen at anytime, at any place, to any victim at jurisdictions which are beyond the 20 countries with which we have signed agreements," he said.