Speed up handling of land issues and unemployment, pro-Beijing heavyweight urges Hong Kong’s leader after mass exit of opposition lawmakers

Tam Yiu-chung, NPCSC delegate, says concern should be on ‘uncooperative’ bureaucrats instead of rubber-stamping legislature

He says remaining 41 pro-establishment lawmakers would do their best to pressure government on prioritising policies to help residents

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A pressing issue plaguing Hong Kong has been its housing shortfall. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:43pm, 15 Nov 2020Updated: 11:28pm, 15 Nov 2020

A pro-Beijing heavyweight in Hong Kong has urged the city’s leader to improve efficiency in tackling long-standing issues such as land planning and unemployment, saying these should be top priority since all opposition lawmakers had resigned from the legislature.

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), China’s top legislative body, also hit out at some civil servants for being “uncooperative”.

He said critics should be concerned about such bureaucrats, rather than over pro-establishment legislators letting through all government proposals in the Legislative Council.

The NPCSC approved a resolution on Wednesday requiring the removal of any Legco member found to have violated their duty of allegiance or endangered national security. Four sitting opposition lawmakers – who were earlier barred from running again by electoral officials – were immediately disqualified and their colleagues quit en masse in protest.

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to China’s top legislative body. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Tam, a former pro-establishment lawmaker, was asked on a Sunday radio programme if Legco would become a rubber stamp with no opposition.

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