SARAWAK Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen is embroiled in a spat with the Bintulu Resident’s office after he claimed the top administrator instructed the police to stop Bersatu members from going into the VIP lounge at the airport to welcome Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Mahathir, the Bersatu chairman, flew in from Kuala Lumpur around 6pm.

Chong, who is the deputy domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, alleged it was a “sneaky tactic” of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to sabotage the visit.

He said it was “the intent of the state government to give the picture that no one came to receive the prime minister” who was in Bintulu to launch his party in the state.

“Even a simple visit, they have to resort to sneaky, underhand tactics,” Chong told reporters.

The Resident’s office in a statement later in the evening denied issuing such instructions to the police, stating that the airport VIP lounge and its security was under the jurisdiction of Malaysia Airport Bhd.

“No way he had given any instruction to bar the public from entering the VIP room at the Bintulu Airport to welcome the prime minister.”

It stated “the state government welcomes the visit of the prime minister to Sarawak and the Resident’s Office has actually provided all the necessary assistance and logistic to facilitate the prime minister’s visit”. – December 2, 2018.