Last Thursday, PKR’s Nibong Tebal MP Mansor Othman had chided the DAP’s vocal Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi for describing low-ranking and ill-informed officers of the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) as "kucing kurap" (small fry).
This was also an attack on council president Patahiyah Ismail, with Ooi telling her to step down if she cannot perform as well as her predecessors.
Mansor, the state PKR chief, told Ooi to retract his "demeaning" remark and demanded an apology, saying that his words have gone against the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat.
"If he wants to reprimand a civil servant, he should do it through the proper channels. Such interference does not reflect (well on) his professionalism as a MP," said Mansor.
He also said Ooi’s comment was "inappropriate and uncalled for" as it referred to someone as being ‘despicable’.
Ooi, however, stood by his remark, saying of Mansor: "We have almost forgotten him in Penang. Is he the Tokong here? Don't try to be a Tokong.
“What premise is he talking on when he is yet to be accountable for Pakatan's loss in Balik Pulau ... in the May 5 general election? Because of our loss in Balik Pulau, we are 30km away from Putrajaya.”
In August last year, Mansor was embroiled in a controversy when leaked minutes of a PKR meeting revealed that he had labelled Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as ‘Tokong’.
However, Mansor said his remark had been taken out of context, saying that the word had been directed out of respect for a revered leader.
Ever since the incident, the word has been frequently used by Pakatan's political foes against Lim, who is also the powerful DAP secretary-general.
On May 5, PKR lost the Balik Pulau seat to BN's Dr Hilmy Yahya, after replacing incumbent - Yusmadi Yusoff - with Muhammad Baktiar Wan Chik.
On Sept 24, Lim blamed PKR for the lost of the parliamentary seat, saying that the party had fielded an unsuitable candidate.
Ooi further told Mansor not to score "brownie points" by defending the MPPP or Patahiyah (left), as well as to stay out of his constituency and focus on Nibong Tebal.
Over the week, Ooi has taken MPPP to task over its delay in approving development plans.
He claimed that investors are threatening to pull out billion ringgit projects from Penang due to the council's ineffectiveness.
Ooi also criticised MPPP for not properly addressing the issue of illegal hawkers in the Jelutong market.
He complained that the council had sent low-ranking officers who "know nothing" to deal with the member of parliament.
By Susan Loone
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