The DAP disciplinary committee today issued a severe reprimand against Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi for publicly demanding the resignation of a party colleague from the Penang state government.

tan kok wai dap pc 010808 01 Committee chairperson Tan Kok Wai ( left ) said they felt Ooi had failed in his capacity as a party leader to uphold the good image of the party with his outburst against Penang state executive councillor Wong Hon Wai late last month.

“He (Ooi) is a standard-bearer of the party. Instead of developing and demonstrating unity among colleagues in the party and state, he has chosen to be seen at loggerheads with party comrades,” Tan said at a press conference at the DAP headquarters today.

Other senior party leaders on the disciplinary committee who heard Ooi’s case included national vice-chairperson M Kulasegaran, national deputy secretary-general and Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy, Tai Sin Piaw and Lim Hock Seng.

Late last month, Ooi and Wong got into a public war of words after Wong accused the former of “not doing his homework” in raising objections to a list of names Wong had come up with for a low-cost housing project in Batu Lanchang, Penang.

Outraged by the accusation, Ooi railed against Wong for spewing “baseless claims” and demanded that Wong resign from his post as a state exco member.

Tan acknowledged that the issue raised by Ooi was of public interest and important, but stressed that the latter had “unlimited avenues” to seek a solution to his grouses both within the party and state government.

“It was unnecessary for matters that Jeff Ooi had highlighted to be raised in the media. It won’t help the situation,” Tan said.

The committee expects to send an official letter informing Ooi of their decision soon, after which Ooi will have 14 days upon receiving the letter to appeal the decision with the powerful central executive committee (CEC), should he decide to do so.

‘It was the last straw’

Earlier today, Ooi told journalists that his hearing before the disciplinary committee was just a “regular explanation” of his recent outburst against Wong.

He said he also presented a set of 24 documents as exhibits to support his case.

jeff ooi meeting dap disciplinary committee 050811 01 “It is entirely up to the disciplinary committee to decide whether my behaviour and outburst was justified,” he said after the 40-minute hearing.

Ooi ( right ), who refused to name Wong during the entire time he was door-stopped for his comments, repeated that he felt “slighted” and that his reputation was tarnished by what he allged to be Wong’s “baseless claims”.

Referring to Wong as his “opponent”, Ooi claimed the former even refused to respond to a 48-hour internal effort by senior leaders to mediate the spat between the two.

“I admit that (Wong’s accusation) was the last straw. There’s only so much you can take.

“I hope that my opponent will be hauled before the DC (disciplinary committee) so they can get his side (of the story).”

When asked if he had suggested to the committee to also call Wong for a hearing over the spat, Ooi replied in the negative, saying only that it is “up to the wisdom” of the committee.

He also avoided directly answering a question on whether he can continue to work with Wong in future, only hinting that he could.

“I can even work with Umno,” he said, before taking his leave.