KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — Lim Guan Eng acknowledged yesterday the gulf of enmity that had to be crossed to form a partnership with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In an interview with The Washington Post, the DAP secretary-general recalled that he was twiced imprisoned when the PPBM chairman had last been prime minister.

Lim was detained as part of the 1987 Ops Lalang security crackdown and imprisoned in 1994 over child sex allegations against a chief minister at the time.

"It’s a surreal experience, supporting a leader who put me in prison twice, and now … defending him,” Lim was quoted as saying.

"But that pales in comparison to our achievement of changing the government.”

DAP and Dr Mahathir’s PPBM joined in a previously inconceivable partnership to achieve an unthinkable victory in the general election as part of the larger Pakatan Harapan.

The pair's enmity had led to accusations of hypocrisy over their past hostilities.

Despite this old rivalry, Lim was among the first selections Dr Mahathir announced for his Cabinet.