GEORGE TOWN: Jeff Ooi’s controversial “kucing kurap” (mangy cats) remark took dramatic centre stage at the state DAP convention yesterday morning, when party chairman Karpal Singh called on Ooi to publicly apologise.

Ooi, who in 2008 became Jelutong MP for the constituency previously represented by Karpal himself, promptly took the microphone after Karpal’s speech and rendered his apology, prompting applause from the gathering of 659 delegates.

Ooi said nobody could make him apologise except the respected veteran Karpal himself.

“Whatever the ‘Tiger of Jelutong’ [referring to Karpal] says, the ‘little tiger’ of Jelutong follows,” Ooi said. Karpal is now Bukit Gelugor MP.

Ooi said he could not retract what he already said, but stressed that he sincerely apologised if it had hurt the affected individuals.

On Nov 16, Ooi was reportedly frustrated that two ill-informed Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) officers had accompanied him during a visit to an illegal hawker site and called them “kucing kurap”.

The incident elicited criticism from politicians on both sides of the divide, as well as from unions related to MPPP workers.  

Karpal had in his speech warned delegates to not let power “go to our heads”.

“We must respect every level of society,” he said. “Officers in the municipal council, high or low, must be respected. There is no one who can be considered low.

“If Ooi persists in not apologising then the matter will be taken to the CEC [central executive committee] to direct him to do so,” Karpal had said.

Speaking to reporters later, Ooi said the episode made him even more determined to highlight issues related to the efficiency of the MPPP, and the importance of local government elections to bring about much-needed accountability in the council.

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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 2, 2013.