Crisis deepens in Penang Pakatan

Crisis deepened in Penang Pakatan Rakyat as fresh DAP calls mounted pressure on defiant PKR councillors in Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) to resign.

At the same time, the leader of 'the PKR rebels' hit back, telling off the DAP local leaders to "take hands off of our affairs".

Two state DAP leaders today echoed the call made by DAP's Jelutong parliamentarian Jeff Ooi yesterday to ask the PKR councillors to step down.

Both Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik ( right ) and DAP whip in MPSP Soon Lip Chee today urged the eight PKR councillors to resign immediately for their open defiance against the state executive council's decision to appoint civil servant Mokhtar Mohd Jait as the MPSP president.

Mokhtar, the former Northern Seberang Perai (SPU) district officer, officially took his oath at MPSP headquarters in Bukit Mertajam yesterday to helm the council president's office.

Ng, who is also the political secretary to the chief minister, accused the dissenting PKR councillors of acting like 'Umno members' in their actions.

"They think they are Umno, but we, the DAP, are not Gerakan.

"It's DAP stand that they should resign immediately," Ng told Malaysiakini today.

PKR whip: Mind your own business

And in an immediate response, PKR councillors' whip in MPSP Johari Kassim called on Ooi, who is Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's chief of staff, and Ng not to venture into territory beyond their domain.

"They should not intervene into our affairs. We were nominated by PKR to sit as councillors.

"It's for our party to decide on our fate, not DAP," said Johari ( right ), who led eight of the nine PKR councillors in MPSP to boycott Mokhtar's swearing-in.

Only PKR councillor Farid Arshad defied the boycott.

Johari also called on Ooi and Ng to look after their own constituents, rather than delving into MPSP affairs.

"Don't tell me that I cannot disagree with the state government's decision.

"Why should we resign merely because we have dissenting opinion on the state's decision?

"Is Lim's government immune from criticisms?" Johari raised a question.

He said being a PKR whip, he was duty bound to highlight his party's stand to appoint politicians to helm local municipalities, a decision adopted by the state Pakatan council in January.

However, the Pakatan council's stand was rejected by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's state executive council, deciding instead to appoint public officers to head local councils.

In March this year, the state government extended the tenure of then MPSP president Farizan Darus and island council, the MPPP president Zainal Rahim Seman to another six months until September this year.

‘Is it your personal view or PKR's?'

PKR sources claimed that the state executive council had agreed to deliberate and decide the Pakatan's joint proposal on political appointees to head both councils in September.

However, PKR was infuriated when the state government decided arbitrarily, without consulting PKR, to appoint Mokhtar to head MPSP, which PKR had requested to be reserved for the party nominee.

And at MPPP, civil servant Tan Cheng Chui was appointed to head the council.

When contacted, Ooi clarified that the Pakatan government had never agreed to the proposed political appointment for local councils.

"The proposal never reached a conclusive decision," he told Malaysiakini.

Soon, on the other hand, questioned whether Johari was speaking for himself or representing his party's stand.

He also called on the eight PKR councillors to resign from their positions to avert disruptions to council operations, rather than making threats to do.

"We, DAP councillors, fully support the state government decision. This is also our party's stand.

"Johari should first clarify on whether the boycott staged by PKR councillors and his subsequent disagreement against Mokhtar's appointment was his own view or that of his party's," he said.

Gobala vs Ooi

Meanwhile, PKR's Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan joined the fray in slamming Ooi's open quit call on PKR councillors as "unwarranted interference into internal PKR matter".

He said just because Ooi was the CM's chief of staff and DAP parliamentarian, it did not permit him to demand for PKR councillors to resign.

He explained that PKR councillors have all the right to know about the appointment of council president, who will be involved with them on day to day affairs of the municipality.

"Ooi should bring up the Pakatan state council not to the press.

"It's unbecoming of a Pakatan parliamentarian to attack councillors, who were only exercising their democratic rights," said Gobalakrishnan, a PKR supreme council member.

Ooi however hit back at Gobalakrishnan, pointing out that the Kedah parliamentarian was the one who should back off from interfering into Penang affairs.

He clarified that he was making the quit call on PKR councillors because they were attacking the state government and chief minister.

"Being part of the core leaders in the Pakatan coalition government, I am duty bound to defend the dignity of Pakatan executive council and the chief minister.

"Everyone should accept that there is only one state government leadership under Chief Minister Lim.

"Johari should resign to save the agony and pain of the Pakatan government," said the blogger-cum-politician, calling on PKR to put its house in order.