Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's husband, Lam Siu-por, was seen in a Chinese nation-wide broadcast choosing not to join in when everyone around him was singing Ode to the Motherland, and clapping their hands in unison.

Patriotic song honoured as second Chinese national anthem

The video was taken while Lam and her husband were attending a cultural performance in the Chinese Special Administrative Region in Macau on Thursday, Dec. 19, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony's handover to China.

Carrie Lam’s Husband Dr. Lam Siu-bor decided to take no action when everyone was singing “Ode to the Motherland 歌唱祖國” in Macau. pic.twitter.com/QXctElWMVV

— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) December 20, 2019

Tweets praising Lam Siu-por for not singing along soon popped up on Twitter.

Many of the tweets took his silence as a form of silent protest.

Ode to the Motherland was written in 1951 after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and was honoured as the second national anthem of China.

Also captured on camera in the same frame were Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Zhang Xiaoming, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was in Macau to lead the celebrations of the handover anniversary, sang along on stage as well.

You can watch the segment here.

Earned praise from pro-democracy supporters

Lam Siu-por's choice of standing still in a setting where the people around him were singing the song has earned him praise from pro-democracy supporters, with some even going as far as to say he stands with the protesters.

HK leader Carrie Lam's husband, Lam Siu-por, has been hailed by some as gutsy frontline 'sau zuk' (hands & feet, the term protesters called each other) after a Macau Daily video shows he has refused to clap & sing the patriotic song with others during the #Macau20 show last night pic.twitter.com/xSU8biG5PM

— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) December 20, 2019

Dr Lam Siu-Bor, Carrie Lam's mild-mannered academic husband, seen here steadfastly refusing to join in the zombie merriment of handclapping of the Chinese Communist regime at a ceremony in Macao.

He has my respect even though he is married to Carrie Lam.https://t.co/JV3LQKNMUa

— Mandy 😷 (@MandyDUBHKG) December 20, 2019

Lam Siu-por is a British citizen

The 65-year-old husband of the chief executive is a mathematician who lives in Britain, and holds a British citizenship.

He has been married to the Hong Kong leader for the past 34 years.

While the couple and their two sons were all British citizens, Lam renounced her British citizenship to take up the post of Chief Executive in 2017.

She has often said her husband supports her fully in her work, even saying he wrote her a Valentine's Day letter in 2017, which said he hoped she could continue contributing to "one country, two systems", South China Morning Post reported.

Xi backs Lam further

Lam also met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Dec. 19, in Macau.

She received yet another injection of support from Xi, when the latter said the central government in Beijing "fully supports" their next phase of action, according to Xinhua.

In addition, Xi affirmed the "courage and sense of responsibility" Lam has shown in her management of the ongoing political crisis in Hong Kong.

This was the second time they had met in a week -- both met earlier in Beijing on Friday, Dec. 13, during Lam's annual duty visit.

Xi had also reaffirmed his backing for Lam at that meeting, saying she had "fulfilled her duty, and done a great deal of hard work".

Anti-government protests that broke out in Hong Kong seven months ago have yet to subside.

While demonstrations first started out as a protest to the now-abandoned extradition bill, the movement later evolved to a broader call for police accountability and political freedoms.

Top image via Macau Daily News/YouTube