I refer to 'Punish Ling, boycott Nanyang' (June 27) by Nanyang RIP. The writer should recognise that politics is always shrouded in sandiwara (charade) and nothing appears the way it really is.

The writer urged the White Knights (from the Chinese business community) to punish Dr Ling Liong Sik/MCA (for taking over Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press against the Chinese community's wishes) by boycotting the two newspapers.

Why should they? They may not be happy with Dr Ling but the Chinese business community may still need MCA and probably the newspapers to advance whatever their agenda is.

The whole fuss about Chinese community's interests being adversely affected by MCA's control of Nanyang wouldn't have arisen if there were no split within MCA in the first place, instigated and supported by the lobbying of certain powerful interests within the Chinese business community who are more interested to ensure that their preferred nominee would succeed Ling instead of Ling's own preferred nominee when he eventually steps down.

Punish Ling or MCA? Never. He'd likely be rewarded so that (for example) his choice of successor or successors would pay it off for these business interests who will still need to use MCA (the DAP is not in running) as a patronage vehicle, and Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press to spout their propaganda for the furtherance of their own selfish business agenda which is camouflaged as interests of the Chinese community.

As Jeffrey said in 'Moving from narrow win to win-win' (June 25), what ultimately matters is always the equation of compromise and win-win behind the scenes between the real principal players and event movers - never mind that the Chinese community got worked up for nothing over high-minded issues like Democracy, Press Freedom etc.

This lobbying is a la Capitol Hill, Washington DC, and, in a sense, Malaysia has arrived!

For too long MCA has been either dictated by Umno or the rich Chinese business guilds and Chinese-educated community to whom money/business, Chinese language/schools are the most important, in that order. (The presumption is that these are what matters to uphold Chinese community's interest).

But do not forget the existence of the English/Malay-educated of whom there are many amongst Chinese Malaysians, who are hardly involved, nor presented in their positions, in the MCA (though a few of them may actually hold top positions within the party today).

This section of Chinese Malaysians are politically more apathetic less chauvinistic but has a huge reservoir of financial and intellectual resources not really tapped by the MCA or the nation in political terms.

Dr Mahathir's appointment of an English-educated Chinese lawyer as political secretary is therefore a strategic move to tap and bring to political fold this section.