Dr Mahathir allowed into Sarawak, set to speak at opposition programme tonight

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Dr Mahathir (second left) speaks at the press conference. Seen from left are Chong, Lim and Ali.

KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is in the city and will be giving a talk to Sarawakians near BDC Everrise in the evening.

Dr Mahathir was not barred from entering the state like what PH Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen had feared earlier.

At a news conference upon Dr Mahathir’s arrival at the VVIP lounge, he seemed unaware of some PH leaders being banned from coming to Sarawak.

He even jested: “It shows that Sarawak is very independent. You have your own passport, almost.”

Earlier, Dr Mahathir said he hoped that PH Sarawak would win “enough (seats) to form a government”.

He did not seem to be able to tell how many seats the state PH could deliver in the next general election as he pointed out: “We have not counted yet.”

To a question, he said PH is in the midst of preparing its manifesto as well as a “special manifesto” for both Sarawak and Sabah.

He added that PH “is willing to go back to the reservations at the time of Malaysia Agreement 1963”.

Among those with him at the conference were Chong, Democratic Action Party parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and Ali Biju, who represented state Parti Keadilan Rakyat chairman Baru Bian.