"What do the Chinese want?"

The question was posed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad shortly after one general election (in 1990, I think) in which the Chinese middle ground swung towards the opposition DAP at the expense of MCA and Gerakan. It was meant to be a rhetorical question of course, because, more than any other Malaysian, the M understands the Chinese mind, their strengths and their weakness - especially their weaknesses.

What the Supreme Leader meant was probably this: after what the BN government has done for the Chinese, what more do they want, before they will give undivided support to the ruling party?

His prayer was answered in 1999. The effect of the Anwar Ibrahim affair, combined with the rise of PAS in the Malay heartland in the north and to the east, had threatened to split the Malay constituencies three ways, and undermine Umno's unchallenged dominance in Malaysian politics. Fortunately for the power centre, the Chinese middle ground swung back towards the Barisan Nasional.

In short if only the Chinese themselves would dare to dream of it the Chinese voters can play a king-maker role in determining which of the emerging Malay forces shall come to power in Malaysia.

Their strength does not lie in mere numbers. Declining birth rates among the Chinese, in contrast to accelerating rates of increase in the population of other ethnic groups, has shrunk their share of the national total to slightly more than a mere fifth.

A more telling sign of the Chinese weakness lies in their tendency for emigration overseas. During a recent seminar organised by the Chinese community, it was revealed that between 1957 and 1991, something like one whole million of Malaysian Chinese had emigrated to greener pastures elsewhere. Quite shocking really!