[2] After completing his studies in Campbell University in 1991, Lau worked as a quality assurance chemist in the acid manufacturing sector.

[4][5] Lau remained active in the sector of business management consulting until his appointment as an associate professor in the Razak School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 2005.

Lau contested for the Batu federal seat in Kuala Lumpur in the 2013 and 2018 general elections representing BN and GERAKAN which he lost to Chua Tian Chang from the opposition People's Justice Party (PKR) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2013 and to independent candidate Prabakaran Parameswaran in 2018 who later joined PKR and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

[8] Lau led the party and nominated Wendy Subramaniam as the candidate for the 2019 Tanjung Piai by-election which was held on 16 November 2019.

Lau expressed his intention to curb party hopping no matter if it is within the same coalition, and told the press that he will bring this issue forward in the Perikatan Nasional Presidential Council.

Perikatan Nasional continued to support the Barisan government through a confidence and supply agreement despite the loss of the prime minister position.

Lau's Senatorial appointment was met with backlash due to its timing shortly after the 2021 Malacca state election.