Promises May Have Lured Joseph Lau: Opposition

Tycoon Joseph Lau’s unexpected move to abandon his legal challenge over the government’s extradition laws evoked cautious reactions from some opposition lawmakers on Wednesday, who wondered if this was a result of officials making certain “promises”.

Claudia Mo from Council Front speculated that someone had interfered with Lau's decision and it was not his personal choice, as Lau mentioned in the statement that he’s a patriotic businessman and wanted to reduce the dispute in society.

But she sounded a word of caution. “If he’s now convinced that he’s not on the extraditable list, it might be wishful thinking. I wish him the best of luck,” she said.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting speculated that Lau may have dropped his judicial review application after government sources indicated that the threshold of jail terms could be made seven years.

Lau was jailed in absentia for five years and three months in Macau over a bribery case.

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung from the Business and Professionals Alliance didn’t want to speculate on Lau's decision to drop his legal bid, but she welcomed his change of heart.

Leung said the move had come at the right time. Now people won't think that if the government makes some changes to its proposal, it is favouring Lau, she said.