  Given a discrete quantum group A we construct a certain Hopf *-algebra AP
which is a unital *-subalgebra of the multiplier algebra of A. The structure
maps for AP are inherited from M(A) and thus the construction yields a
compactification of A which is analogous to the Bohr compactification of a
locally compact group. This algebra has the expected universal property with
respect to homomorphisms from multiplier Hopf algebras of compact type (and is
therefore unique). This provides an easy proof of the fact that for a discrete
quantum group with an infinite dimensional algebra the multiplier algebra is
never a Hopf algebra.
