Former Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik has hit out at a Gerakan leader for taking his words out of context to question the Penang chief minister about delays in kicking off the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

Ng described Oh Tong Keong's action as "despicable", adding that he never authorised the state Gerakan chief to "pick words" from his Facebook post.

The post, which has since been taken down from Facebook, had questioned delays in the construction works of the Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, an elevated highway in the state.

"I just requested our Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to tell us the reasons behind the delay of the said highway project, which was intially scheduled for completion in April 2019 but then delayed to June, and the latest we heard it will be ready by Aug 31," Ng told Malaysiakini.

"I did not intend to question our own Penang government or chief minister, who is also my own party state chairperson," said Ng, who is also Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng's special coordinator.

Ng said that the state government is also a "victim of circumstances" as the project has been awarded to the concessionaire several years ago.

Hence, Ng said that, while Chow would have shared the reasons for the delay if he could, but if the chief minister did not know the reasons, it is the duty of the concessionaire to be answerable to all Penangites.

"If I want to question about the project, I will direct all my queries towards the concessionaire," adding that he regrets being misquoted and thus retracts his remarks.

He urged Oh to do his own homework and not just take social media postings out of context and use them to question Chow.

"I have no obligation to work for Gerakan or lend my words to Oh Tong Keong.

"Besides quoting my posting without permission, Oh (photo, below) was also shameless in quoting me as the special coordinator to the finance minister throughout his media statement, it is again unacceptable and unforgivable."

Ng was responding to Oh's statement asking Chow to explain Ng's purported query over the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

Oh, who is also Gerakan national deputy chief, said the PTMP is a mega project involving at least RM42 billion.

"But from Ng’s Facebook, there seems to be some little-known secrets behind the project. The state government needs to explain," Oh had said in a statement.

"This is such a mega public project that we do not want to see the black box operations inside. Everything must be transparent. The people have the right to know. Chow needs to explain the reasons for the delay," the statement read.

Oh pointed out that as both the state and federal government are under Pakatan Harapan, Chow and other DAP leaders cannot use the excuse that the federal government is objecting to the project as a reason behind the delays.

"If the project is beneficial to the people, then the state government must implement it as soon as possible, instead of delaying it.

"Of course, Gerakan believes all government projects must be in the public interest and in line with public opinion.

"Besides, it must be carried out in a transparent way, but not black box operations.

"The mega public project from the original April, to the extension to June, and then postponed again to August, is a very serious inefficient problem. How would people trust the government?" Oh asked.