‘PAKATAN NEEDS NEW LEADERS’

Younger generation wants fresh faces to lead, say analysts

PAKATAN HARAPAN keeps holding on to its older generation of leaders as they refuse to make way for younger candidates to lead, analysts said.

They said this was “political nostalgia” as the opposition pact seemed to believe that the big names carried more influence among the public.

Universiti Utara Malaysia se- nior lecturer in international politics and Asean relations Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman said although the opposition had its share of credible young leaders, the older generation refused to move on.

“Pakatan lacks young blood at the highest echelon of the leadership. They are not prepping younger candidates to take the helm one day.

“They have many credible candidates who are good, but the young politicians are always being outshined by the older leaders,” he said.

On Sunday, Pa kat an announced that its chairman ,92year-old Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would be the next prime minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would be his deputy, if the opposition came to power.

Dr Mahathir is the country’s longest-serving prime minister of 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.

It was also announced that Dr Mahathir must give way to jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as soon as the new government obtained a royal pardon for him.

Anwar is 70 this year and Wan Azizah is 65.

The potential of an Anwar-Wan Azizah’s l eadership for the country has also raised eyebrows.

Universiti Sains Malaysia political expert Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Pakatan would have a difficult time convincing youth of the merits of its decision.

“They will have to explain the relevance of having a husbandand-wife team in the government.

“All of this (obtaining royal pardon) will take some time, which means we will be looking at the old generation as government leaders.

“This is also why there is dissatisfaction among opposition members.

“Although they have many young leaders, they are being neglected,” he said.

Universiti Malaya political analyst Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said Pakatan appeared to have no faith in its young leaders to hold the top post if it won the general election.

He said young leaders like Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Dr Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, had the potential to be candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister, respectively.

“Is Pakatan going to wait for young leaders like Azmin or Mukhriz to be old before they can take over the leadership?

“Even now, they are not that young — they are 53 this year.

“If they are going through with their plan of making Dr Mahathir the prime minister first, and after five years, Anwar, then Azmin will already be in his 60s or even 70s by that time.

“The youth do not want another old face to lead the country. This looks as though Pakatan doesn’t have the ability to offer fresh faces,” he said.