To be seen as truly transparent, MCA should publish its membership list in the newspapers where more people can see it. Those whose names are in the list, can verify if indeed they are members. And others could help to spot names — for example, names of dead people — that should not be there. An independent team could be set up to vet and verify the list.

By doing so, MCA would be able to get over its tarnished image and stand tall among the Chinese Malaysian and alongside Barisan Nasional component parties once again.

All that is needed is perhaps just a month or less of work to clean up its membership list once and for all. Without which, the issue of its dubious membership will forever cloud the party and hang like an albatross on whoever wins the election.