news analysis Finally, Prime Minister, temporary Finance Minister and Umno President, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has admitted that he was 'uncomfortable' with the political reporting of Nanyang Siang Pau and the China Press. And that it was he who gave the green light to MCA to take over the two Chinese-language newspapers.

It is thus confirmed that the take over of the two Chinese-language newspapers is not a 'normal business transaction' as it was quite untruthfully asserted by the president of MCA and his supporters at the initial stage.

It is, and has all the while, been political or, in the words of Ling Liong Sik a few days ago, 'strategic'.

Yet, to many older and wiser Chinese, Mahathir's admission sounds rather uncharacteristically humble. They reason that the premier played an even larger or greater role than just giving the green light.

They may be wrong in their conspiracy theory but they are not entirely without basis for their speculations. In 1983, Lee Kuan Yew forced Nanyang Siang Siang Pau and the Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore to merge into one easily controllable and less competitive Chinese-language news provider.

There is no more Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore. The fusion is now called Lianhe Zaobao (United Morning News) and Lianhe Wanbao (United Evening News).

Tactical mistake

Lee Kuan Yew, rightfully or wrongfully, was successful because he and his Peoples Action Party (PAP) were and still are operationally efficient in achieving given objectives. PAP - love it or loathe it - is less corrupt and less inefficient. Its image and moral authority, are less tarnished by direct and open involvement in commercial businesses.

Of course, it could also be argued that such Germanic efficiency is always dangerous if the objectives to be achieved are morally wrong. Doing things right is not the same as doing the right things.

Thus, Mahathir may have made a tactical mistake or a wrong strategical judgement. This means, even if he had wanted positively to emulate Lee Kuan Yew because he was 'uncomfortable' with the Chinese-language newspapers, he should not have assigned the taking over operation to MCA, thinking that MCA is PAP.

MCA has never been like PAP. He should have used the more brainy Gerakan or some other Chinese personal agents who enjoy a larger quantum of goodwill in the Chinese community.

But then, we must still be fair to Mahathir and give him the benefit of the doubt. There is still a possibility that Mahathir really did not initiate the move of taking over the newspapers, even though he was 'uncomfortable' with their political reporting.

He may have been approached by the MCA, which has long been desirous of controlling some or all of the Chinese-language newspapers. Knowing Mahathir's displeasure of the dailies, they went to him to get the green light.

And Mahathir just gave the green light to the second-largest component member of his ruling Barisan Nasional. Rasputins always thrive in panic and besieged courts.

In giving the green light to Ling's MCA, .Mahathir has certainly overestimated its strength and credibility in the Chinese community, and correspondingly underestimated the reaction, opposition and resistance to the Nanyang takeover.

Incurred wrath

Event after event in the past several weeks should convince Mahathir that MCA's takeover has incurred the wrath of not only the opposition Barisan Alternatif, but also in Gerakan, the majority in the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (Acccim), Chinese-language journalists and Chinese educational, cultural, social and youth organisations.

Worse, the takeover has split the MCA itself into rival factions.

Although Ling's MCA now cites Mahathir's authority to support their fight against the anti-takeover groups and opinions, the mere admission by Mahathir that he gave the green light has incensed so many Chinese across the political spectrum and this does the premier no good for two reasons.

First, it might cause a more intense resentment in the Chinese community because it is now confirmed that the Umno president, who made the insensitive remarks of Suqiu being similar to the communists or Al Ma'unah, wants to control Chinese-language newspapers;

Second, it might land Mahathir personally into the very muddy swamps of an intra-MCA power struggle, MCA-Gerakan rivalry and commercial competitions among different groups of Chinese businessmen.

There seems to be only one way for Mahathir to extricate himself from this messy position and that is to induce MCA to give up its entire stake of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press to the Chinese group led by the relatively respectable Lim Guan Teik, president of the Acccim.

For as long as MCA holds a stake, however minor, in Nanyang Press Holdings, the two dailies would never be accepted by the Chinese community. And fights and tussles within MCA and between MCA and Gerakan and disapproval of Chinese civil society would continue for a long, long time.

JAMES WONG WING ON is a former member of parliament (1990-1995) and also a leading Mandarin-Chinese opinion writer and columnist. He read economics and political science at the Monash University in Australia from 1983 to 1986.