I refer to the malaysiakini report Taib ill, acting CM to be appointed?

'The end is near for me to meet my final curtain', so go the lyrics from a song by Frank Sinatra and it seems apt to describe the political future of Taib Mahmud. There will be a power vacuum in that state as there seems to be no heir apparent who can command the respect of all the races in the Hornbill State.

The chief minister is partly to blame for this. During his more than 25 years of running the state, he did not groom potential leaders that could replace him. Two of the well-known Sarawakians - Effendi Nawawi and Adnan Satem - who had the potential to replace him, are already past their prime age while the second echelon leaders are not ready yet to step into his big shoes.

Our political leaders should learn from this episode. Never think that top political posts - both at the federal and state levels - are yours to keep for life. New blood has to be groomed constantly to replace the old guard when the time comes. Never overstay your welcome and don't kill off your potential rivals who can replace you.

Our country would have been a better nation if Musa Hitam or Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah who had succeeded the former premier instead of the present one that we have. But that is another story.

As to the Sarawak chief minister's legacy, let history judge him on whether he has been a good leader who brought progress and development or whether he had plundered state assets to enrich his family member and other elites.

In other Third World countries where democracy is only a word, the sons of the leaders always replace their fathers after the latter dies in office. In our country, the same thing is happening as future prime minister posts are reserved for the sons of former premiers, like in the case of Najib Razak and Hishammuddin Hussien Onn. Even sons-in-law may one day be given the PM post.

It seems to me the country is not practicing true democracy where the best of the best are chosen to be leaders to lead the country to greater heights. Rather, it is a guided democracy where members of the largest party in the government are told to elect leaders the party elite have already chosen. At this rate, our country will never progress as not all sons are as capable as their fathers.