Opinion | Court ruling on welfare may fuel anger against mainland Chinese immigrants

Where have all the naysayers gone? Just weeks ago they were writing the death sentence for Hong Kong's rule of law after the Executive Council rejected Ricky Wong Wai-kay's TV licence application.

But Hong Kong's highest court proved in a bold ruling this month that our rule of law is very much alive and kicking. It declared unconstitutional the government's policy of denying welfare to new immigrations.

Silence from the naysayers greeted the court's ruling. Applauding would not have served their political agenda. These naysayers claimed that the central government had instructed Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to reject Wong's TV licence application. Then they thrashed Beijing's liaison office here for alleged meddling in local affairs by lobbying legislators to vote against forcing the government to release confidential documents on the licence issue.

But how do you square Beijing's supposed opposition to Wong having a licence with state-owned China Mobile selling him a subsidiary that would enable him to start an internet and telecoms-based TV station? You can't.

The story now is that the sale had Beijing's blessing, which is why the Office of the Communications Authority isn't even bothering with a routine check for any possible conflict of interest. But if Beijing had played a role, isn't that meddling in local affairs? Surely that's exactly the kind of fodder that would have prompted the naysayers to demand a probe by the authority.

But again silence. I'll let the naysayers deal with their conscience however they want.