COMMENT | “If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?”

― Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men

Last month I asked if Dr Mahathir Mohamad should serve a full term. The thrust of my piece was that it would legitimises Anwar's ascension if Mahathir served a full term and the prime minister-in-waiting to lead an election on his own instead of relying on vague promises of a handover. This would silence critics who claim that Anwar was handed everything on a silver platter and did not have to "fight" for anything.

The question everyone should be contemplating: isn't it time to move beyond Mahathir and Anwar when it comes to the leadership of this country? It is almost impossible now because both men have stamped their imprimatur on various acolytes, but there is always the hope that recent political upheavals would result in a cadre of leaders not beholden to the current toxic political duo who are still scheming to lead this country when their time is clearly up.

I would take any of the young leaders within Harapan to lead the country, no matter which camp they belonged to, instead of these two old politicians whose shenanigans are holding this country hostage.

If I was not constrained by the realpolitik of the situation, I would include dozens of non-Malays on the list. The reality is that Harapan Malay politicians would never support a non-Malay candidate, and non-Malay politicians would never dare to attempt to claim the highest office in the land...