Carrie Lam should resign: Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia's Prime Minister said yesterday that Hong Kong's embattled leader should resign over the city's increasingly violent pro-democracy protests and warned that China would take "harsh action" to end the demonstrations.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam "is in a dilemma".

"Her conscience says that the people of Hong Kong are right in rejecting the (extradition) law. But on the other hand, she knows the consequence of rejecting the law," he said.

"For the administrator (Ms Lam), I think (the) best thing is to resign."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

HK tycoon to donate $176m to help SMEs

HONG KONG • Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka Shing will donate HK$1 billion (S$176 million) to support local small and medium-sized businesses, his foundation said yesterday.

The move comes in the wake of pressure from Beijing on Hong Kong tycoons and property developers for not doing enough to alleviate housing problems in the city.

The Li Ka Shing Foundation said it would discuss the support measures with the government and had made the donation as Hong Kong's economy faces "unprecedented challenges".

REUTERS

MTR operator's plea to protesters

HONG KONG • The operator of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) network yesterday appealed to protesters to stop damaging facilities on the network.

MTR Corp operations director Adi Lau said at a televised briefing that the cost of damage in recent days amounted to a third of the total suffered by the company during the protests, though he did not provide a figure.

Mr Lau said the violence - including the throwing of petrol bombs - endangered passengers and staff.

BLOOMBERG