"That is why I work with him because he is the voice of the Chinese."

- Umno politician Nazri Abdul Aziz on DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng

COMMENT | "Starting now, MCA can accept associate members from among non-Chinese," said MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon, which means the party wants to have non-voting, non-Chinese associate members as a fig leaf to their race-based agendas and policies.

I have no idea why the MCA would do something like this now. Which is worse, being a non-voting, non-Chinese associate member in a race-based party or being a non-voting, non-Chinese associate member in a race-based party which has lost its influence in the Chinese community the party claims to represent?

Any rational and informed person would have issues with the way DAP confronts its inter-party racial politics but this idea that the MCA is accepting non-Chinese associate members is the most ridiculous thing in a political terrain filled with howlers.

Do not get me wrong. I am sure the MCA has a history of advocating on behalf of the non-Chinese community but the same could be said of any race-based party. It is all part of the subterfuge that race-based parties represent, or at least theoretically could represent, the interests of all Malaysians.

But we know that this is a complete lie and the existence of race-based parties are meant to...