Guan Eng: Jeff Ooi’s position only ” transitional”

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng clarified today that the position of Jeff Ooi as his chief of staff has always been “transitional”.

Stressing that Ooi, who is also Jelutong MP, has done a satisfactory job in the state government, Lim described reports that Ooi nay resign as “speculations”.

Ooi is spearheading Penang’s wireless internet connectivity project, and also oversees a special task force to deal with issues on telecommunications towers in the state, Lim said, when commenting on a report in a Chinese vernacular newspaper on Tuesday that Ooi may quit his post as his chief of staff.

According to the report, Ooi has not seen eye-to-eye on certain issues with the state leadership.

“The press has a right to speculate. But nothing has come out from it,” Lim said after launching the Penang Tourism website www.visitpenang.gov.my here.

He added however that Ooi’s appointment and that of Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong as advisor on policy matters to the chief minister were never meant to be permanent.

“They were tasked with assisting me in formulating policies for the state. Now they are doing other things as well,” he said, adding that Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng was similarly helping by heading a state committee on Chinese education.

Lim also said Penang expects to generate a revenue of RM7 billion over the next five years from the tourism industry.

He stressed however that more can still be done to promote the state as a tourism destination.

“While we focus on our core strengths like cultural diversity and heritage, we have to be innovate to make Penang an international city,” he said.

He also said the public and various groups were welcome to object to the state’s ideas, such as the recently proposed tiger park.

“But please, base your criticisms on facts, not on sentiments,” he added.

Lim also introduced Ong Thiam Hiong as the general manager of Penang Global Tourism Sdn Bhd, a new state-owned tourism body.

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