I refer to Bukit Bendera Voter's pro-DAP letter Merger avoids three-cornered fights and wish to respond as a private citizen who wishes to see a stronger opposition after the 2009 polls.

I observe that Lim Kit Siang's offer for the merger with Keadilan and its subsequent withdrawal was not sincere at all. How could a national chairman of a party make a public offer to another party without any decision first being made by his own party?

It reflects poorly on his other comrades in the DAP central executive committee in that they allow one man to play around with party's name like a naughty boy.

The motives of making the offer were, as I see it, both momentary 'triumphalism' and the secret fear for DAP's fragile future as a Chinese-centric opposition party. And also that is now besieged by the Barisan Nasional (BN) without any assurance of future assistance from Barisan Alternatif (BA) since it sold out both PAS and Keadilan for opportunistic and short-term gains.

Without a doubt, DAP will be under heavy and concentrated fire from BN in the 2009 general election. By that time, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh will have retired as they have publicly promised that this (2004) would be their last general election.

As MCA's organisational strength is much stronger than DAP's, the latter will be slaughtered without Lim's personality as a shield.

As for BA, despite its relatively poor performance in the recent questionable polls, it still has a nationwide organisation and a network of supporters of all ages. Equally important, BA has many brains working behind the scene as compared to Lim Kit Siang's one-man show.

As long as the multiethnic BA is not broken up, and is willing and capable of reforming and strengthening itself, it can do without the DAP. Paradoxically, it is in DAP's true interest to see that BA strengthened. This is because BN influence will be checked and balanced nationwide, preventing it from finishing off the DAP at its Chinese fortresses in Penang, Perak and Kuala Lumpur.

To show it has repented for selling out PAS and Keadilan, Lim should ask DAP leaders, members and supporters to join in the mass signature campaign being organised by BA to protest against the electoral irregularities.

DAP cannot serve two masters at the same time - it can choose the gerrymandering Umno, or the anti-gerrymandering masses as represented by BA. There are no two ways about it.