We’re caught in the games of old men
Malaysia faces a dilemma in that there’s a distinct lack of Malay leaders to take over once the current generation is gone.
Shahril Ahmad, Free Malaysia Today
Take your eyes off the conflict between Mahathir and Najib for a second and wonder: what comes next? Most of us believe that either Muyhiddin Yassin or Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will assume the Prime Minister’s position if Najib resigns or is removed. That is all well and good, but what comes after? What of the future? Who will rise up once the old men have called it a day and gone home from the war? Are there no other names we can call upon to be responsible for the fate of the millions of Malaysians?
Sadly, it doesn’t look like there is any, not by a long shot.
The real Malaysian dilemma today is the dilemma caused by a distinct lack of Malay leaders who can carry the torch and run with it. Even now, we turn to faces who will soon be past their prime. Both Muyhiddin and Razaleigh have seen better days.
The Kelantan prince, who is 78 years old, falls into this category quite neatly. Even if he were to assume the role of Prime Minister, questions will constantly be asked on the state of his health and whether he can endure the pressures of becoming the highest authority of a country. Certainly, he is more than qualified to assume the Prime Minister’s role, but while age is wisdom, and wisdom is indeed a necessity in any leader, age is the downfall of every man sooner or later.
Muhyiddin turns 68 in two weeks’ time. That’s past retirement age for most people. How long will he last? In a few years’ time, he’ll need to look around for a successor. How many has he groomed? If none, will he have time to groom one?
Speaking of age, we must also look to the most prominent figure in Malaysian politics today. It is not a young man bucking the establishment, or a leader looking to cement his legacy. The most prominent voice in Malaysian politics today is the 89-year old Mahathir Mohamad.
Mahathir is still authoritative, and even at his age strikes a more imposing prime-ministerial figure than any one else in the government right now, and that says a lot about the quality of Malay leadership in this country.
Where have all the new leaders gone? We are facing an unprecedented dearth of Malay leadership, to the point where an old man who has borne the burdens of leadership for 20 years must once again stand up for us, with nary a face by his side to support his campaign to unseat someone who must be the single most unpopular prime minister in Malaysian history.
This problem is more evident than ever within Umno itself, as the same old names are cycled into every cabinet, and young leaders dare not make a name for themselves for fear of upsetting the power structure of the party. Aside from Khairy Jamaluddin, can anyone name a leader from Umno Youth with the slightest glimpse of potential to one day become Prime Minister?
The opposition is not totally exempt from the dilemma, although PKR has indeed provided many platforms for young Malay leaders to rise. However, the ultimate power in the party rests in the hands of Anwar Ibrahim’s family. We see the result of that policy in the chaos in Pakatan Rakyat after Anwar’s imprisonment. The opposition has no credible Malay leader who could be fielded to lead the coalition onwards to Putrajaya.
