DAP is punk’d by the Old Man again and again, ka-ka-kah because they always play into his hands.
The former BN chairman commented that MCA “which was at one time quite extreme” is nonetheless able to work with Umno.
MCA is not Mahathir’s real target and his allegation about extremism in the party does not resonate.
At which time was MCA considered “quite extreme”?
Not during the 22 years when Mahathir himself led the BN and he had a cosy relationship with then MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik.
It could be possible that Mahathir has in mind Lee Kim Sai circa Ops Lalang but that was only a minor blip in its impact on MCA.
Mahathir, who is also the former Harapan chairman, said too that DAP could “sometimes be extreme”.
Now here is his real target but the evangelical party is not really being targeted by Mahathir for its sometimes extremism.
There is no need to stress that DAP is extreme because everybody and my six house cats know DAP is unable to shake off its anti-Malay and anti-Islam reputation.
So what was Mahathir’s actual purpose in juxtaposing MCA and DAP?
It was to accentuate the DAP’s Chineseness … MCA dan DAP sama-sama Cina cauvinis.
Let’s examine the context of Mahathir’s remarks — see FMT news above.
He was responding on Sunday (Apr 4) to Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman who had floated the idea that his party could manage to work with DAP if the latter adopted a “more moderate” approach.
Their selling point is that any future government will need to include the voice of the Chinese who are the country’s second biggest ethnic.
But does Mahathir consent to this putative Umno-DAP cooperation? The answer is ‘No’.
Mahathir supports the Malay unity government which has already and successfully taken form under the young party he founded — Bersatu.
It is important to note that Bersatu could not tolerate the DAP for even a full year. Hence less than 10 months after GE14, the momentum began that culminated in the Sheraton Move.
Reports that Umno’s Court Cluster is in talks with Anwar are credible.
And Najib, Zahid and Anwar are certainly not Mahathir’s favourite people.
There are similar reports alleging that the Cluster is in talks with Anthony Loke, who is tipped to be the next DAP sec-gen.
While Anwar has confirmed the rumour, Anthony is keeping mum.
Which does Mahathir want to see as the government sitting in Putrajaya post GE15?
(a) Malay government based on the PN’s current template, or
(b) Umno-led government which will include an X-Factor?
The answer is that Mahathir will derail any trajectory heading towards Option (b).
MCA being tarred by Mahathir as ‘quite-extreme-at-one-time’ is mere collateral damage.
After all, MCA is now irrelevant compared to DAP which is currently the biggest party in parliament.
Meanwhile DAP being tarred by Mahathir as ‘can-sometimes-be-extreme‘ is not the main thrust either.
Mahathir baited DAP by throwing a cat (the “extremism” label) among the pigeons, and DAP stupidly snapped at the hook.
The Malaysiakkni coverage below is exactly the effect desired by Mahathir.
DAP although multiracial is tacked side by side with MCA the parti Cina.
Guan Eng, replying to the ‘extremist’ label, protested most insistently about the DAP’s Bangsa Malaysia diversity.
In terms of optics, which one is more convincing — DAP’s denial that it is Chinese chauvinist or Mahathir placing DAP in parallel with MCA as a Chinese party?
Helen Ang 
i think mahathir is telling the malay its not an issue to work with dap, he wants umno to work with dap. mca mic hv to decide whether to stick with bn, if no, then umno is more free to pick their new partner, bec victimized by bersatu, n mca mic.