I fully support Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's call for veteran politicians to quit and make way to younger and newer ones. This is to make the country's political process and institutions more vibrant, youthful and up-to-date.

If MCA can succeed with the young and new leadership of Ong Ka Ting, why not Umno, Gerakan , MIC and other component parties of the Barisan Nasional? In this sense, MCA is more forward-looking and progressive than other component parties of BN.

Veteran politicians who must heed Dr Mahathir's call include the presidents of Gerakan and MIC - Dr Lim Keng Yaik and S Samy Vellu respectively - and Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz. It should be the same for veterans in the state assemblies and senate. They must all decline nominations during the coming general election, or appointments in the case of posts as senators.

However, for the country's political process and institutions to be rejuvenated, it is not enough that only veteran politicians must step down. It is equally important for other public personalities to do likewise.

For example, the Speaker of Parliament, Mohamad Zahir Ismail should also step down and not be appointed again after the next general election.

Another category of public personalities who should be made to retire are senior managers, journalists and editors, like the editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times Abdullah Ahmad, as well as deputy information minister, Zainuddin Maidin. They are no longer sensitive to the information, knowledge and self-improvement needs of the society in this fasting-changing and more complex society.

More often than not, what they write or utter reflects their personal nostalgia and past glories that have no relevance to future or even current public interest.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must be firm and decisive in making Dr Mahathir Mohamad's very wise, sincere and farsighted call a reality before or during the general election.

Timing is important for this transformation. No one would be willing to give up power voluntarily and everyone is waiting for others to quit first before they promise do it themselves.

When there is no more excuse, they invent external "threats" to "survival" of the party, race, religion, organisation or country to make themselves look and sound forever absolutely indispensable.