KUALA LUMPUR Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged developing countries to keep up the fight for fairer global trade and told rich countries to help them grow.

Southeast Asia's longest-serving leader criticised what he called the unfair trading environment which lumped rich and developing nations together without rules or regulations.

"Cities do not compete with villages, nor adult athletes with children. To compete fairly, the competitors must belong to distinct categories," he told a business seminar here.

"It does not take a genius to see that the dice is loaded against the weak and the poor."

Mahathir said poor countries must be given more time to adjust to competition.