I totally share Linda Wong's concern about MCA's increasing control of the mass media ('Nanyang' takeover - more power to MCA', May 17). To allow MCA to control both the Star , Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press is certainly detrimental to Barisan Alternatif, especially PAS.

However, not many people realise that it would also be detrimental to other component parties of the Barisan Nasional like Umno and Gerakan. For by controlling two major newspapers in two major languages in this country, Umno and and MIC will have to kowtow to MCA next time to gain greater access to English and Mandarin-speaking Malaysians. As a rival to MCA within BN, Gerakan looks like to be a certain victim of this concentration of press ownership into the hands of one racial party.

As MCA is struggling to regain the Chinese ground, the two newspapers would certainly be manipulated to serve that end, and in the process, Umno would be the loser in the non-Malay ground.

It is to the interest of all parties both within BN and BA to be actively concerned about the growing monolithic power in the form of MCA's controlled media.