GERAKAN Tanah Air (GTA) chairman and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 97, should have just said: “I have seen it all. It’s time now for the young to take over …”
PKR president and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 75, should have said: “I’ve tried; I’ve failed; it’s time to go now …”
Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, 75, and incarcerated former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, 70, should have said: “our time has come and gone. “
UMNO president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, 70, should have said: “I will stand down and clear my name. “
They would then all be judged better by history.
Leadership – it is said – requires the courage to make decisions that will benefit the next generation. But these septuagenarians and nonagenarians do not have that courage.
A philosopher once said that there are people who believe hanging on are signs of great strength. But the truth is that it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
Malaysia is NOT a country without talent.
Had our crème de la crème – Khairy Jamaluddin, Rafizi Ramli, Ong Kian Ming, Liew Chin Tong, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Hannah Yeoh, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, Fahmi Fadzil, Howard Lee Chuan How – shed their political differences, embraced each other, would it not – I wonder – have shaped the Malaysia that could be?
Reality is that Malaysia is not a movie where the ending brings a cheer to your heart.
What we see today is a Shakespearean tragedy. Some 65 years after independence, we still cannot get our act together.
As long as politicians on both sides of the spectrum remain as they are – selfish, narcissistic and power hungry – Malaysia will continue its slide further into the wastelands.
Dr Mahathir, Anwar, Muhyiddin, Najib, Zahid – follow the footsteps of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Lim Kit Siang: GO. Your time has long passed. You have done your part.
Go now.
To rephrase Dylan Thomas:
“Go gentle into that good night”, “Old age should NOT burn and rave at close of day”, “Rage, rage NOT against the dying of the light”.
Let the young ones lead.
To the Khairys, Kian Mings and Rafizis – cast aside your egos and show the courage to chart the future of this country.
“If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” – American novelist Toni Morrison (1931-2019) – Nov 18, 2022
Veteran journalist Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan was the former editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times for a two-year term. He left in December 2005 after completing his term and remained as deputy chairman of the New Straits Times Press Bhd until he retired in December 2008.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
