Dr M tells HK's leader to quit, predicts China will crack down on protesters
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam should resign over the ongoing protests in the special administrative region.
He also expects China to employ “harsh action” against the protesters...
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam should resign over the ongoing protests in the special administrative region.
He also expects China to employ “harsh action” against the protesters.
Mahathir said this when asked for his advice for Lam during a question and answer session at the Lawasia conference in Petaling Jaya this morning.
“The fact is that she is in a dilemma,” he pointed out.
“She has to obey the masters (but) at the same time, she has to ask her conscience. Her conscience says the people of Hong Kong are right in rejecting the law.
“But she knows the consequences of rejecting the (extradition) law.
“...It happened in China, in the Tiananmen matter. The people who demonstrated (were) also the relatives of the soldiers in that area, so what they did was they brought in soldiers from other areas and they took action, harsh action to put an end to the demonstration.
“I think in the end, that is what China will do but for the administrator (Lam), I think (the) best thing is to resign,” Mahathir added.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said that "the Pakatan Harapan government was pro-democracy and human rights and was following the developments in Hong Kong very closely."
Saifuddin said Malaysia had to be strategic in how it broaches the human rights situations in China's troubled Xinjiang province.
"Malaysia wants to uphold principles of democracy, freedom and human rights but we also have to be very strategic in how we carry out our foreign policy,' he said at a session with the media on the foreign policy framework of "New Malaysia".
"When it comes to Palestine and the Rohingyas, and Jammu and Kashmir, we are very vocal but if you look closely at each of the three issues, there are different ways of making our voices heard.
Saifuddin said that Malaysia could take a civilisational approach with Beijing by engaging with them in forums about Islam in China (with regard to the Uyghur situation in Xinjiang).
"It is a very complex issue. We have to use our wisdom and use the best means of approaching things. In some circumstances, the less said the better," he said.
Reporting by M FAKHRULL HALIM, HIDIR REDUAN ABDUL RASHID, ANNABELLE LEE.
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