The main barrier for Chinese to support MCA/BN is none other than Ling Liong Sik himself. Under his leadership, MCA has become a second-class organization. The voice of the Chinese community is almost unheard in the government.

Ling prefers to keep silent or give vague answers when it comes to issues of education, unequal rights and opportunity. Mahathir likes him very much as like many BN ministers, Ling is a perfect 'Yes' man and knows how to praise his boss with a right word. Not too bad, for a doctor.

While the Chinese are worried on education, unequal rights and opportunity, Ling has tried to divert the people's attention to social problems like ecstasy pills and video game machines. Many of these social problems are just the symptoms that derive from the above root problems.

The cause of social problems in Chinese society (and also in Indian society) is the unequal opportunities in the education system that deprives many young and bright youths from low-income families of attaining better tertiary education.

The situation is bad since their parents cannot afford to send them to private colleges if they fail to gain admission to public universities.

Although many of them do find proper jobs, many who want higher income opt to work in places like video game centres, discotheques, spas, nightclubs etc.

These places have become an attraction especially to some Chinese youth who face much higher pressures when compared their friends of other races. They have to work much harder for success, as this is the only option.

The corruption in Malaysia is also a problem. It is an open secret that the video game centers are 'taken care' of by some law enforcement departments. I was told by an accounting employee at an video game arcade syndicate which operates 140 centres in Klang that before the crackdown, they use to pay more than RM100,000 a month to the local authority and high ranking law enforcement personnel.

The man told me that the officer said the crackdown will be over within a few months as it is merely a political show by the politicians. They even told the operators to keep renting the existing place as it was a good venue.

Don't be surprised if not even one law enforcement personnel is convicted of corruption charges in the recent crackdown.

It is also an open secret that the majority of the spas in Malaysia are prostitution centers, especially those located in two and three star hotels. Even some four stars hotels provide prostitution services in spas and in Jalan Imbi, there is even one operating in a condominium called Bond Tower.

Many of these places are owned by Datos and Tan Sris. Datos and Tan Sris have to make a living and so do the law enforcement officers. For BN politicians, they need donations to run their campaigns and buy votes.

Why has Ling never touched on corruption issues? He can't because he cannot explain why the three listed companies taken over by his son for some RM2 billion went into financial problems and ended up with capital reduction.

Ling also owes an explanation to all Malaysians as to how a young turkey with no business experience could get some RM2 billion in loans from one of the smartest bankers in town.