KUALA LUMPUR: DAP Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi's remarks over the passing of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din were insensitive and he should apologise, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said Dr Haron’s passing was a big loss to the country and this should not be politicised, he said.
Liow was responding to Ooi’s controversial tweet "Adios Harun Din. Let there be peace" on Friday.
"The person concerned should apologise to the family (of Dr Haron) as he had made a sensitive statement," Liow told reporters after opening the MCA 3on3 Basketball Challenge 2016 at Wisma MCA here Sunday morning.
Some 250 teams including four disabled groups participated in the tournament.
Meanwhile, MCA Religious Harmony Bureau secretary Chris Daniel Wong said Ooi’s conduct did not befit the status of an MP, let alone the constituency which he represents.
"To bizarrely reply as well as retweet an insensitive tweet and then add on, 'adios' and 'let there be peace' shows a lack of maturity and insensitivity on his part," Wong said in a statement on Sunday.
Ooi had made the remarks in a retweet of another Twitterer’s comments. The retweet also drew the ire of netizens.
Wong said that a simple "RIP or Rest in Peace" should have sufficed.
"The least we can do as a human is to offer our condolences with words that are acceptable to humanity," he said.
Wong hoped that such an action by Ooi would not turn into another racial or religion issue which DAP has been accused of lately.
"As we continue to reprimand our kids, the people should reprimand their elected representatives," he added.
On Saturday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that Ooi's comments did not represent the party's sentiments.
Lim said DAP regrets the "insensitive remarks" made by Ooi in his “adios” tweet.
The Penang Chief Minister also said Ooi had deleted the tweet in question.
Earlier, Ooi denied claiming his Twitter account had been hacked and that he had no part in the controversial tweet.
He maintained that he had "full control" over his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Ooi also said that he had wished Dr Haron farewell and had no intention of belittling him or his family.
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