[20][21] However, he is uncomfortable with being defined solely by his ethnic identity and has dismissed the notion that his election as MP would raise the profile of British East Asians.

[11] Following his election he expressed concern about the attention his ethnicity, and subsequent political breakthrough, was receiving from both international media and British Chinese groups.

[22] One month after the 2015 general election, Mak was selected to participate in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in the Royal Navy.

[23][24][25] In June 2015, Patrick Kidd wrote in The Times that Mak had gained a reputation for "self-promotion" amongst his parliamentary colleagues and "is getting up people’s noses.

[28] Mak's loyalty was also noted by Stephen Bush, who described him as "a long-term specialist in parliamentary questions of the 'does the minister agree with me that the government is a friend to fluffy kittens and socially responsible businesses?'

[30] This decision was criticised by local party members as a political "U-turn"[31] and received speculation in The Huffington Post as being affected by "careerism".

[36] In 2016, Mak founded and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and has worked on future technology in Parliament.

[42] In June 2017, Mak was mocked by BBC presenter Simon McCoy due to his repetition of soundbites defending Theresa May.

This was in contrast to popular opinion inside Westminster and among the public, that the result had caused instability within the Conservative Party and the government.

[47] In 2020, Mak co-founded the Blossom Awards to "celebrate the success and contribution of the British-Chinese Community to the national life of the United Kingdom".

[29] On 8 July 2022, he was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury as part of outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson's caretaker administration.