It is strange to observe a gross inconsistency of opinions in the MCA fight happening right in front of our eyes. And both sides are implicated in this.

On the aggrieved corner stands Team B up in arms over the issue of phantom members and a sudden increase in members in certain branches. The Team B leaders have made claims of phantom members and have insisted that they be rooted out and deleted from the membership list. They portray the Team A members as promoting, instigating and propagating the creation of phantom members and have challenged the authority and authenticity of the membership list. They have even threatened to question the legality of the branch and divisional elections in court.

Have they paused for the moment to examine the Elections (Amendment) Bill which was recently passed in parliament? Were they there to oppose the part of the amendment which made the electorate roll, once gazetted, not challengeable in court?

Most of them were probably busy attending press conferences highlighting their own causes to ensure their own political survival rather than being in parliament which is supposed to be their responsibilities as MPs. Were they so blind as to miss this gross inconsistency of wanting to challenge their own members list on the one hand and but allowing the membership of voters of all voting Malaysians not to be challenged in a court of law?

If phantom members can exist in a party list of approximately 1.25 million voters, what more the electorate roll which consists of more than 11 million voters? Or do the Team B leaders have more trust in the operations of the Election Commission compared to the workings of their own party machinery?

Similarly, Team A, by responding and allowing MCA members and leaders a period of time to view the membership list and by deleting some 'suspicious' names, have tacitly shown that phantom members do exist! (Albeit only in small numbers, they will claim) If the possibility of phantom members can exist, why not the possibility of phantom voters in an electoratenumbering more than 11 million people? Why weren't Team A parliamentarians opposing the passing of this Elections (Amendment) Bill? Probably too busy fighting the fires created by Team B.

This issue has only highlighted the fact that the personal agendas and positions of certain politicians are of more importance than the question of justice and fairness for the Malaysian people as a whole.

I'd strongly urge both Team A and Team B leaders to open up their eyes to their own inconsistencies and act in a way that is beneficial to the people they represent instead of representing themselves over and above the people.