I could not agree more with LY Kim ('Back Ling for long-standing contributions', June 18). I beg the Chinese community to open up their eyes and look at just what Chinese Malaysians have achieved today under the excellent stewardship of Ling Liong Sik.

During his tenure, has the MCA not stood up for the Chinese community's best interest? Take, for example, the Nipah virus outbreak. The government first denied the existence of the epidemic, claiming it is a foreign conspiracy (yawn). Then when the evidence was too overwhelming to point it at some foreign Jew, the government did too little too late for the poor farmers and Malaysia's innocent consumers. Worst, a Nipah fund was set up and - guess what - some MCA members who had never reared a single pig in their entire lives were receiving aid from this fund meant for pig farmers. Then - horrors, dead people were also on the recipient list!

Oops, that was not a very good example of Dr Ling's leadership. But hey, no one is perfect.

How about the Vision School fiasco? Didn't MCA stand up to defend Chinese interests by opposing Chinese primary schools from being torn down and replaced by Vision Schools?

Erm, actually that was done by the Dong Jiao Zong and a lot of other Chinese who were truly concerned about the future of the Chinese language in Malaysia.

But wait, surely MCA had a part to play in the Suqiu saga, and voiced a lot of the community's concerns to the government so that they could be addressed (or at least noticed)? Yes, MCA did play a part - but only in silencing it.

I know I am not a good communicator, and I have always had trouble convincing people of my opinions. Maybe the average reader of malaysiakini still doesn't agree with me or the letter writer.

But think about it, why is Dr Ling buying Nanyang Press Holdings? It is not because he is a tool of Dr Mahathir Mohamad to suppress the Chinese community, it is not because MCA wants to exact revenge on Nanyang Siang Pau that has reported fairly (well, not quite but considering the political circumstances...) about issues that the Chinese Malaysian community considers dear to their hearts, it is not because Dr Ling wishes to transform the paper to become The Star , Berita Harian , Utusan Malaysia or any other government-controlled media and report unabashedly in favour of our government.

No, Dr Ling truly wishes to unite the Chinese community of Malaysia (to vote for BN that is). Even if MCA does interfere with the editorial integrity of Nanyang, that is for the greater good of Chinese Malaysian. And that is where most people fail to appreciate Dr Ling's good intentions.

Contrary to what those anti-government cynics think, Dr Ling is an upright man who has strived his whole life for the Chinese community. Yes, there were times he had to be politically expedient, like pretending nothing happened when Mahathir went back again and again on his promises to the Chinese after they helped deliver him and BN to yet another election victory in 1999 (but isn't that what all politicians do, break promises?); and the times when people question how his rather young son could control a few public companies worth billions (but all fathers help sons, look at George Bush and George W Bush, Jr).

So let's not nitpick. Let's not only remember the promises he reneged, nor the times (and there were too many instances) he flagrantly rode roughshod over the Chinese community to advance his political career.

Instead, let us focus on the charities he attended, the wonderful speeches he made, the tears he shed and the promises he kept (can't think of any, but I must not be trying hard enough).

Now, maybe you are wavering. Maybe you are starting to realise why KY Lim and I think he's a great leader.

And maybe you'll start to buy the truth that Dr Ling is once again coming to the Chinese community's rescue in buying Nanyang Press, though his wonderful intentions are misunderstood by the ungrateful Chinese Malaysians.