Mahathir allowed to enter Sarawak for political talk

KUCHING: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) and other Pakatan Harapan leaders will be allowed to enter Sarawak as they are not extremists, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The Pakatan chairman and other leaders, including DAP veteran Lim

Kit Siang and Parti Amanah Negara chairman Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, are scheduled to attend a political gathering here today.

Abang Johari, however, said the Sarawak government would continue to exercise its immigration powers to bar people it considered undesirable from entering the state.

He said the Sarawak government would continue to stop any politician who is a threat to Sarawak from entering the state.

“Freedom of speech does not mean it can be done at the expense of the people. I will bar politicians who might cause disunity in Sarawak, despite what the critics are saying,” he said in his speech during the opening of the Bau district office building yesterday.

Abang Johari said this was why the state had barred Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Jamal Mohd Yunos and Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali in the past.

He was responding to a comment on Friday by state Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who had expressed concern that Dr Mahathir, Lim and Mohd Hatta could be barred from entering Sarawak for the political talk at Taman BDC.

The state DAP chairman appealed to the state government to not abuse its immigration powers, saying there was no reason for Sarawak to ban opposition leaders from entering the state.

Dr Mahathir is scheduled to land at the Kuching International Airport at 4.45pm today, while Lim is due to arrive around 1.30pm.

Sarawak has autonomy over immigration under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.