Malaysians advised to avoid demonstrations

Protesters use barricades block roads near the Legislative Council building and the Central Government building during the anti-extradition bill protest in Hong Kong,Monday, - APpic

PETALING JAYA: It would normally take Sam Lam,29,an hour and a half to travel to work from Tuen Mun to Quarry Bay,Hong Kong,but the widespread protest has extended her commute to four hours.

The consultant,who has been in Hong Kong for more than seven years,said that she would normally take the train to work but wanted to avoid the long queues at the train station.

“I took the bus from Siu Hong then at Tuen Mun interchange station caught the bus to Wan Chai and headed to the area where I work.

“It took me four hours to get to work,” she said when contacted.

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have launched a rare citywide strike that is crippling parts of the city,with at least eight railway lines including the airport express,shut fully or partially.

The Consulate-General of Malaysia in Hong Kong issued a statement advising Malaysians residing in Hong Kong and Malaysians travelling to Hong Kong to stay away from public demonstrations.

“If you find yourself in a public demonstration,you are advised to leave the affected area. Malaysians are advised to monitor Hong Kong news and the Hong Kong Transport Department’s Special Traffic News page for updates (www.td.gov.hk/en/special_news/spnews.htm).

“This advice is to aid Malaysians in avoiding inconveniences such as services,traffic and transport disruptions in the said areas,as well as to help ensure their general well-being,” it said.

Malaysians who require consular assistance may contact the Consulate-General of Malaysia in Hong Kong at [phone]/ [e-mail] (or [phone] [WhatsApp/WeChat],after office hours).

Lam said that many of her friends were also late to work but aside from that life continued as usual for those staying in Hong Kong.

“If there is protest going on or in full swing,the shops will shut down earlier or not open at all,” she added.

Rail operator MTR Corp announced the suspension of services between the bustling shopping district of Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay on Hong Kong island.

Services from Kowloon Tong to stations close to the border with mainland China were also disrupted,Hong Kong media reported.

Commuters tweeted photos of protesters blocking train doors and congregating on platforms at various MTR stations.

Corporate consultant Derrick Tan,28,who has worked in Hong Kong for eight months,said that he did not feel unsafe throughout the ordeal.

“This morning,I barely noticed that Hong Kong was shut down. Protests and daily life go on seamlessly here but of course,cameras are focused on the areas where the big protests are held.

“When protests are on my street,I’m up in my room. Once they clear out I go back out to do my laundry,” said Chen,who stays in Des Voeux Road West.

“And from the police side I’ve seen them use tear gas,flares and shields to push them back.

“So,what usually happens is the protesters will converge on main points like the Beijing building and the police will push them to more open areas like Sun Yat Sen memorial park or way back into Sheung Wan,” he said.

Kang Soon Chen,who works in Kowloon,said that the train stations were all packed.

“When I arrived at the train station,there were too many people at the platform so I turned back and got the bus.

“It was a little inconvenient but it was fine for us. It gets chaotic usually in the evening but most of them will disperse by then,” she said.