MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek and vice-president Chua Jui Meng are commendable for having stood up to oppose MCA's takeover of Nanyang Press. But regrettably they have not taken any step to correct the flagrant breach of law and party discipline in this massive and dubious transaction.

MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik has shockingly disclosed that the transaction was done on May 28 before the party central committee meeting convened on May 30 to approve the purchase. And Lim and Chua, two of the four trustees of Huaren Holdings, the purchaser, also disclosed that there has never been any board of trustees or shareholders' meeting to approve this deal.

Since the purchase agreement was sealed without the approval of the trustees and shareholders of Huaren, the transaction is deemed illegal. Lim and Chua should immediately report to the commercial crime division of the police against whoever illegally executed this purchase agreement for criminal breach of trust; and they should also seek an urgent court injunction to suspend this deal.

Meanwhile, they should take steps to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the party to reverse the deal and to censure Ling for breach of party discipline and trust, for having secretly completed a massive, dubious and controversial purchase without the prior approval of the central committee or the general assembly, thus putting the party's political and financial future in grave potential jeopardy.

If the above legal and political measures are pursued expeditiously, and considering the unanimous opposition of the Chinese community and the groundswell of objection from the MCA grassroots to this deal, Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, the two dailies run by Nanyang Press, may still see the light of day, and Malaysians may still enjoy a tiny measure of independent news. Reluctant seller, tycoon Quek Leng Chan, will only be too happy to re-embrace Nanyang.

However, the question is not just MCA, but Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Who could have been so powerful as to have forced tycoon Quek to relinquish his beloved jewel Nanyang, if not Mahathir?

Keep in mind that Quek is flushed with cash since his recent sale of Dao Heng Bank of Hong Kong for RM11 billion, and the financially sound Nanyang is his most prestigious possession, not only as a pre-eminent voice of the Chinese in Malaysia, but also as a well-known and respected media by overseas Chinese throughout the world. There is no possibility that Quek would let go of Nanyang at that pittance price (to him) of RM230 million to Ling Liong Sik (for MCA), unless he is coerced by the very top.

Only Mahathir could have forced through the deal with such lightning speed, circumventing Huaren Holdings and MCA, and compromising the professional integrity and ethics of merchant bank advisers, solicitors, lending banks and the stock exchange for having breached the mandatory requirement of their respect fields in this highly irregular and illegal transaction.

Will Mahathir change his mind? That depends on how determined and how much sacrifice the Chinese and Malaysians in general are willing to put up, so that the Chinese will still have a small voice to air their aspirations and all Malaysians can continue to have access to drips of opposition news and views that may slip through the dragnet of the Home Ministry from time to time.