COMMENT Is Anwar Ibrahim's intimation he may retire from the exertions of leading the opposition in Malaysia should it fail to obtain a mandate at the general election a sympathy-winning ploy to galvanise support or frank admission that though his spirit may be willing the flesh is increasingly wan?

The other day he let drop to an interviewer from the Financial Times of London that he may "go back to teaching" if the opposition Pakatan Rakyat does not gain a mandate at GE13...