Jeff Ooi gets off lightly for attacking colleague

DAP MP for Jelutong Jeff Ooi was let off with just a warning by the party’s disciplinary committee today for attacking fellow party member Wong Hon Wai, a Penang state exco member, in the media.

Disciplinary committee chairman Tan Kok Wai said it decided to issue a “stern warning” to Ooi, who is also chief of staff of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, after listening to Ooi’s testimony at the party headquarters here.

“He has breached party discipline by resorting to the media without exhausting all available internal avenues. This in turn has tarnished the party’s name and image,” Tan was quoted by Bernama as saying after the hearing.

Ooi (picture), who is also a party central committee member, exchanged barbs with Wong in the media over the latter’s purported failure to get sufficient data on applicants for low-cost apartments in Batu Lanchang since he was the state exco in charge of housing.

Ooi even called for Wong’s resignation over the matter.

The war of words escalated when Wong claimed that Ooi did not do his homework when submitting a list of 178 people who applied to buy low-cost houses in his constituency.

Ooi retaliated, saying it was a “baseless claim” and called on Wong, whom he labelled as a “little Napoleon”, to resign from his post.

Explaining the disciplinary committee’s decision today, Tan said Ooi was given a warning because of the uncalled-for name-calling which the panel deemed as something that “does not sit well with the public”.

“His remarks will only lead to the party’s disrepute,” Bernama quoted Tan as saying.

“Jeff as an MP and Lim Guan Eng’s chief of staff should act as a party leader who knew how to demonstrate unity among colleagues and use proper channels to raise the matter.

“DAP’s reputation, which has been painstakingly built over 46 years, could be easily destroyed by this kind of action,” he was quoted as saying.