Hong Kong legal sector lawmaker Ambrose Lam San-keung has become the latest incumbent to withdraw from seeking another term in the coming Legislative Council election.

As of Wednesday, two days before the two-week nomination period closes, 29 of the city’s 89 lawmakers, or nearly one-third, have decided to step down, marking the highest proportion since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

Six incumbents had neither declared their intention to run for re-election nor to withdraw from the race, including Paul Tse Wai-chun, who has served the legislature since 2008, alongside Wendy Hong Wen and Jesse Shang Hailong.

Lam, first elected to represent the legal sector in the 2021 election, said he decided not to run in the December 7 race after considering various factors, including the growth of his law firm.

“In the future, I hope to devote more time and energy to the law firm business,” the 64-year-old said.

Lam pledged to develop a world-class law firm to nurture new legal talent and make greater contributions to the country and the city.