“Dr Mahathir owes Sabah and Sarawak an apology for failing to give sufficient funds to develop rural areas in the two states,” Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing told reporters yesterday.

“I am not talking about tar-sealed roads here, suffice if he could have provided treated water supply and power supply to our rural folks,” the Borneo Post Online quoted Tiong as saying.

He said he had been reading and watching the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman’s speech in Kuching, and many had asked for his comments.

“I am saddened by what Mahathir had said because I started as an MP in 1999 under him.”

Tiong said in the video, Mahathir was talking as if he was never the prime minister of Malaysia.

“I had written many letters to Dr Mahathir when he was in power requesting for development, but none were replied by the former premier,” he told reporters.

He said when Mahathir was in power for 22 years, Sabah and Sarawak had generated so much revenue.

“He enjoyed so much that he forgot about Sabah and Sarawak and today when he is no longer PM, suddenly he cares so much about the two states,” Tiong said, questioning how much yearly allocation the former premier gave both states.

He said Mahathir should seek forgiveness from the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

“While in power, he totally forgot about Sabah and Sarawak. The people were living in hardship,” he was quoted as saying