Recently, two Penang DAP Leaders had a lot spat in the open. Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi criticized how the system for Penangites to be relocated and application for low cost houses is being managed.
‘DAP’s feuding leaders will leave poor homeless’
Teoh El Sen| July 28, 2011
Penang MCA wants DAP leaders Jeff Ooi and Wong Hon Wai to bury the hatchet and look after the state’s poor. Ooi also comes under fire from his state party chief.
PETALING JAYA: Two DAP leaders are at loggerheads over a name list for low-cost housing in Batu Lanchang, Penang, and the Penang MCA has gleefully stepped into the fray by saying the real losers will be the poor who need a roof over their head.
Penang MCA advisor Koay Kar Huah has asked the two feuding DAP reps to put their differences aside and attend to the housing needs of Penang’s poor.
It was reported today that Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi and state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai are at loggerheads over a name list for low-cost houses in Batu Lanchang.
The fued came out in the open when Wong, who is also state DAP treasurer, had claimed that Ooi did not do his homework when submitting a name list of 178 people who applied to buy low-cost houses in his constituency. This was reported in the Chinese press.
Ooi then retaliated, saying it was a “baseless claims” and called on Wong, whom he labelled as a “little Napoleon”, to resign his post. Ooi is also Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s chief of staff.
Said Koay:” When Barisan Nasional helmed Penang state, there never was a need to hold press conference condemning fellow party comrades publicly.”
“DAP had criticised the existence of little Napoleans when they were still in the opposition, vowing to rid the state administration of cronyism. But now that they are in power, not only are they unable to remove little Napoleans, DAP state government office bearers are also steeped in bureaucratic red tape.”
“Poor communication between Ooi and Wong does not address the problem of helping Penang’s poor who are urgently in need of a roof over their heads,” he said.
Wong’s own agenda?Koay then said Wong’s “delaying tactics” does not follow the DAP state policy of CAT(competency, accountability and transparency) and questioned if Wong had his own agenda.
“If more documents are needed (for the name list), then Wong should have informed Ooi, or, does Wong have his own list of benefactors?”
Koay said both Ooi and Wong should have talked to each other before lashing out openly in the press conferences.
Koay said since 2008, the Penang state government has not launched any low-cost public housing and was in direct violation of its Pakatan Rakyat Common Policies Framework “to increase the number of affordable housing”
“Considering that property prices have escalated in the last two years, leaving Penang’s poor homeless, the DAP-led Penang state government should concentrate on immediately constructing low-cost homes for the poor rather than having their elected representatives embarrass themselves in public with open hostility.”
State chief hits out at OoiIn another development, Ooi also come under fire from Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow said that Ooi has “gone overboard with his public attacks” and had “crossed the line of decency”.
The state exco also said it was a DAP party policy that internal channels should be used to resolve misunderstandings or problems but Ooi had “chosen to ignore this instruction”
“After this latest round of public attacks, the party cannot stop members from initiating disciplinary complaints against Ooi,” warned Chow, who also Padang Kota state assemblyman and Tanjung MP.
Chow said Ooi had claimed that Wong attacked him through the media but he himself had failed to look himself in the mirror especially with regards “his behaviour and attitude in recent years” when Ooi himself had “on numerous occasions, used media channels to openly lambast party leaders.”
Chow also said that DAP elected representatives meet for discussions on a weekly basis and MPs and state reps could raise such issues during such a consultation platform.
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Ooi had a basis for his complaints. These past two years, a lot of local authority related problems particular in the angle of housing development, relocation and issuance of low cost housing grabbed the attention of nationwide media. Names like Kg. Buah Pala and Kg. Tanjung Tokong crops up to mind instantly. Penang is also not free from urban poverty issues, especially on the island.
So many DAP Leaders in Penang already voiced their concerns for affordable housing. The pressure came about the forming a Housing Board, modeled after the Singapore system. Wong Hon Wai as the Exco in charge supposed to move this agenda. However, he didn’t do much.
As the Chief of Staff in the Chief Minister’s Office, he needed more to be done for his own constituents. However, this episode proven that Chinese Chauvinist DAP are unable to manage the Penang State Government as some of them, like Wong, is clueless how to innovate and solve the rakyat’s problems.
This spat, has now move another gear upwards. Ooi is expected to be called in by the DAP Disciplinary Commitee:
Jeff Ooi to face disciplinary committee on Aug 5
August 2, 2011
The committee wants to know why he chose to go to the media to air his criticism against fellow state leader in Penang.
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP central committee member and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi will face the party’s Disciplinary Committee this Friday after calling for the resignation of Penang state executive councillor Wong Hon Wai.
DAP Disciplinary Committee (DC) chairman Tan Kok Wai said the committee had asked Ooi to be present at the hearing which would be held at the party headquarters here at 4pm on Friday.
“We have called him to appear at the hearing to explain his action. We want to know why he chose to go to the media to air his criticism. The DC will look into this, the truth behind it,” he told Bernama when contacted.
Tan said the DC was not just about meting out punishment for the wrongdoings of party members, but also played an important role to uplift the image or reputation of the party.
“There are unlimited avenues in the party for the leaders or grassroots members to voice out their criticism. People will not support the party if it is seen lacking in discipline,” he said.
Ooi, the chief of staff for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, and Wong who is also the state DAP treasurer, had been exchanging barbs over low-cost housing applications in Penang.
It was reported that Ooi and Wong, who is state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman, were at loggerheads over a name list for low-cost houses in Batu Lanchang.
The feud came out in the open when Wong claimed that Ooi did not do his homework when submitting a name list of 178 people who applied to buy low-cost houses in his constituency.
Ooi then retaliated, saying it was a “baseless claim” and called on Wong, whom he labelled as a “little Napoleon”, to resign from his post.
Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who is state Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman, said Ooi had gone “overboard and crossed the line of decency” in his attacks.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had issued a gag order to party members from making statements over the spat between the two.
Asked if Wong would also be called for the hearing, Tan said it was not necessary at the moment.
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So, most likely Penang State Exco and Chinese Chauvinist DAP ADUN for Batu Lanchang Wong Won Hai would not be called in for the hearing is a sign that DAP is out to get Ooi. Like what have been seen Chinese Chauvinist DAP before, they don’t tolerate dissent. Whenever there is one dissenting voice, they quickly apprehend, reprimand and even sack, like in the case of then DAP rising-star Bukit Bintang MP Wee Choo Keong.
If and when Ooi be reprimaded, wouldn’t he retaliate? After all, Ooi criticized Wong for his lackluster as a State Exco and the former was serving the rakyat in his constituency.
Are we seeing ‘Number Seven’ here (After Dato’ Seri Zahrain Hashim, Tan Tee Beng, Mohsin Fadzil, Wee Choo Keong, Dato’ Zulkifli Nordin and Gobalakrishnan) after this?
Cannot help but think that this whole episode is nothing but a charade.
Penang state government has come under heavy criticism since the story about their failure to construct low cost housing became public. Jeff Ooi may want to potray a picture that there is an honest and caring representative within DAP, a people’s champion, one who is willing to risk all in the interest of the people. Interestingly this man ‘happened’ to be from the Chief Minister office. One who is supposed to be THE Napoleon as far as state administration goes.
At the end of the day no low cost housing will be build, or at best a token of a project will be launch, and the Malays will continue to have to cope-up with rising rent and cost of living. Unable to bear with that, majority of them will eventually moved out of the Island.
All the while this chauvinistic Eunuch been saying that they are transparent. But once one of their number speak out against inefficiency (and in the interest of the people), he will be hauled up before the disciplinary committe. So much for Competency, Accauntability and Transparency (CAT).
Sounds very DOD(G?)GY to me.
testing
Now that my comment posting problem appears to have gone, I’d like to say that I want to see Number 77 or 777 or even 7,777 as far as the chauvinist, racist and subversive party, DAP, is concerned.
Subverting the Special Position of the Malays and the Bumiputeras of Sarawak by wanting sama rata without acknowledging that Special Position, they certainly have not bothered about the Malays in Penang who are generally poor and can’t afford the medium and high cost housing development that the DAP Government propagates on that island. Of course they talk about non-race based development knowing full well that the Chinese are the richest community in the country and, having a system of helping the less fortunate through their historically existing clan associations and business guilds, success in business and the accumulation of assets is made much easier for them than the Malays.
I agree with VARUNA above that it may lead to the Malays moving out of the island and Penang becoming like Singapore – a Chinese island. It’s more likely that it’s intended that way. After all the setting up of a Housing Board modelled after the Singapore one suggests that it’s moving along that line. Lee Kuan Yew had split the Malays, broken up entire Malay communities and marginalized them through their housing policy. And Singapore is now 70% Chinese. In Penang, even the Indians have been displaced and not satisfactorily re-located in the housing development projects carried out.
I see the spat between Jeff Ooi and the other fella as a real example of the hooliganism that exists within the party – one doesn’t care about the interests of the other among them, so long as each one can achieve his own agenda, whatever it may be. What baffles me is why the MCA fella is asking the two to close ranks when he should be driving the wedge further down. See, herein lies the difference between the placid MCA and the aggressive no-matter-what DAP. One is conciliatory among their own kind while the other hits harder and harder into any crack that appears in order that it crumbles. Hence MCA loses out, DAP gains. Remember PRU12 and PRN Sarawak? MCA should really pull up their socks and justify the number of Cabinet posts they get in terms of Parliamentary and State seats they bring to BN.
Firstly wishing Muslim practitioners a good blessing in this Month of Mercy and Repentance.
It is much easier to rid Penang of Malaria that to rid of the perennial cry of the plight of the Malays in the island.
Needless to say, any theses on the intention and impact of any policies of the DAP towards the Malays there can be only be tested by its i) actions and inactions as a governing entity ii) time.
If anyone is academically sincere to study the so-called plight of the Malays in Penang, one had to rigorously study both the history of the island and also the actions and inactions of the previous government who had been in power since the days of Malaya.
I’d strongly suggest if anybody is in the economics loop, please do try to get acquainted with Dr. Nung Sari Ahmad Radhi, He is now EC at Khazanah. He was Econ lecturer at UUM and was BN-MP for Balik Pulau. He is a true-blue Anak Penang, and he will help put you in greater perspective about the plights of the Malays there and also how the previous government (and UMNO) has failed miserably to uplift the status of the Malays in that part of the country.
Thanks for your kind wishes. But you a non Malay – saying Muslim “practitioners”, instead of just Muslims? Pedantic, eh.
Who’s writing a thesis? The “intention and impact” cannot be seen after 3 years rule? Then why the hell do DAP keep claiming of various “successes”?
Who is Dr Nung Sari? And what is EC? And why do you ask readers to “get acquainted” with him when we are discussing here in this blog? Because you don’t have the facts or too lazy to explain here?
You are alike, the whole lot of you, aren’t you? Simply accuse here and there without justifying what you say, without giving the facts and figures and quoting reliable sources. And now you ask people to “get acquainted” with a former Lecturer. I fail to understand people like you.
The onus is on you to prove or justify what you claim, to make people believe what you say. Failing to do that makes what you say become rubbish. Irrespective of your claim of being “in the economics loop”, whatever that means.
Is there such thing as “academically sincere”?
I tot just either it’s academic or not, period. Anything about DAP shooting one another among themselves academic?
And why be academic about DAP politics? Get to the cold, raw, hard facts and figures, man. But they don’t have the facts and figures, innit?
Haba haba punk baba.
Haba Haba Papa Kadana
You better watch what you write else Isa will come around and bestow you the DD Award: Decorum and Decency Award! LOL. Study Economics dude. Your vista will be wider than usual. After 50 years, orang Melayu Pulau Pinang masih lagi haba haba papa kadana. Mari tukarrrr ….
As Wan said above, you are all like that. Keep on accusing, never respond to what people say of you and your kind. Sad. Punk means garbage, innit?
Haba haba punk baba.
FROM THE STAR
According to the latest report by the Department of Statistics, the number of Chinese in Penang stood at 670,400, compared to 639,136 Malays last year.
In 2009, the Malay population was at 654,300, just ahead of 651,600 Chinese or at a 0.1% difference.
The report, titled Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics 2010, is based on a nationwide census conducted last year.
It stated that the Indian community had also seen an increase to 155,600 from 153,100 in 2009.
However, the Malay community has decreased from 654,300 in 2009 to 636,136 last year.
In terms of percentage, the Chinese take up 42.9% of the 1.5 million population in Penang, followed by the Malays with 40.7% and the Indians with 9.8%.
The others non-Malaysians and other Bumiputra equal to 6.6% of the population.
The population of Penang has decreased by 1% compared to 2009.
Correction:
2nd paragraph, 1st sentence:
the Special Position should be of the Malays and the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak.
Hah, now the “Special Investment Officer to the Penang Chief Minister” is the one trying to counter The Star’s column on “The Penang Dilemma” 31 July. Not the PR Officer.
The Star today reported the Officer, Jeffrey Chew, doing so. Why the “Investment Officer” doing a PR job? Why the “Special” Investment Officer?
They must really be in a dilemma. More than meets the eye. Sounds even like kelang kabut olely. Jeffrey Ooi, Lim Guan Eng’s Chief of Staff, a blogger and should be handling PR, no longer in charge of the staff at the Chief Minister’s Office?
It reminds me of the study done by Alaistair Ian Johnston on Chinese strategic culture. Though it was more in the context of war, but war itself is inseparable from politics. Johnston mentioned about the Mao’s theory of contradiction anchored in the traditional Chinese dualism of ‘offensive-defensive ‘ dynamics – where conflict didnt beg for solution but conflict itself is the solution. Meaning contradictions lead to conflict which produce new contradictions that would lead to new conflict.
So the two key DAP men are in conflict over a policy on low cost housing development in Penang. The contradiction lies in the foot dragging in the implementation of a policy and hence instead of finding a middle ground a conflict erupts. We shall see how it all ends. How they deal with conflicts.
No, am not making an analogy at all. Haha. Just that I remember Sun Tzu who said ” Know your enemy and know yourself. In a hundred battles, you will not lose.”.
But the history of the Chinese are full of battles and losses. Battles among themselves and with foreigners. A huge country with a vast population, but the Mongols, Genghis Khan, conquered and ruled them for some 80 years in the 13th Century. The Manchus (Manchuria became a part of China only after World War II) conquered and ruled them for several hundred years until the 20th Century. The British, the Germans and the Japanese bullied them. Hong Kong was returned to them only 2 decades or so ago, China itself was regarded as a pariah state by the West only until 1-2 decades ago.
I think they are not that smart really. So are the DAP blokes. But like hell they are stubborn, dog-headed, aggressive and gangsterish. I’d like to see them pulverized. Alas, that would take a lot of doing. I don’t mind at all if they’d disintegrate from within. My wishful thinking is that this Ooi-Wong spat would lead to that. I know it’d be wishful thinking. But please don’t deny me the pleasure of engaging in such cheap, in fact, no-cost form of entertainment on an exhausting late afternoon, haha.
Nope, smartness doesn’t prevail among them since engaging in conflict and contradiction is a sure way to self destruction and disintegration. Like watching a pit, full of rattle snakes.
We can say ‘ we told you so’. These guys can’t even resolve basic bread and butter issue, rationally. Should Malaysia place its future in the hands of PR a.k.a Parti Rookie? Oh, some say Parti Rocket. The answer, at least for me, is NO!
It is already giving us signals of the microcosm of a PR governance. Scary.
They may not be that smart but what should concern Malays really is their strategy of “get one of them to do the talking”.
Just look at Anwar Ibrahim and Khalid Ibrahim – not the deep thinkers type but they become the mouthpiece.
And this strategy is effective in managing perception that benefits DAP/PAP.