I read the statement of Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik with amusement. He said, Gerakan should not be provoked by MCA. It sounds magnanimous but the reality is that Gerakan as a mosquito party as compared with the giant MCA, is simply in no position to retaliate. Gerakan, as a semi-Chinese party, cannot match the ideological purity of MCA. Also, Lim and former MCA leaders in Gerakan are rubbish that MCA had long decided to throw off. MCA knows their qualities.

There is simply no issue for Gerakan to attack MCA with. MCA is well organised. We own newspapers, colleges and a university. We deliver votes to Barisan Nasional and Umno. Without MCA, many more Umno ministers, and even the prime minister himself could have lost to PAS in the last general elections.

In the post-Mahathir period, Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will have to depend on MCA for survival since there is no sign of Malays/Muslims returning their loyalty and support to Umno.

Can Umno afford to help Gerakan to weaken MCA? I doubt it.