The letters of Neutral Citizen ('What has Kit Siang done wrong?', July 24) and N Rajen Diran ('Stop making Kit Siang the scapegoat', July 24) interest me greatly and allow me to make a few remarks and observations on DAP from a non-partisan perspective.

There is no question that Lim Kit Siang was once a respectable leader of opposition from the 1960s to 1990s. He had made many sacrifices himself for the cause of democracy and human rights in this country and for the good of all Malaysians.

However, there is also a limit. Kit Siang is now 60 years old. When the next general elections come, he will be 63. If he wins, he will have to serve at least until he is 68. By then he would have been in politics for 35 years. That is, in my opinion, too long. It is unfair to the man, his family and younger generation of DAP and other oppositionists.

There is also a great chance that Lim might lose again due to the emergence of younger voters, the changes in the political landscape and the weaknesses of DAP's own organisation. If that happens, it would be truly ignominious, not an honourable end to a once great opposition leader. To push Kit Siang to an ignominious end of his political life would be the greatest political sin on the part of diehard loyalists like Neutral Citizen and N Rajen Diran.

More seriously, the whole party DAP might be destroyed by his declining ability and outdated political skills, just as Dr Mahathir Mohamad has done to the once powerful Umno.

If I were an Umno or MCA strategist, I would certainly hope Kit Siang and his blind loyalists would get rid of younger and more skillful leaders like Teng Chang Khim, just as DAP strategists hope Mahathir and Dr Ling Liong Sik remain the leaders of Umno and MCA respectively, at least until the next elections.

True DAP loyalists should now seriously think of ways and means, and to devise new schemes, organisations and modus operandi for a party without Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and Chen Man Hin because time and tide wait for no man.

Younger DAP leaders, members and supporters too must be independent and far-sighted enough to grow up and mature politically. As in our own personal life, we should never make plans with the wrong assumption that our parents would live forever. Younger DAP members should not waste their youth doing nothing but defending Kit Siang. They should sit down together, improve themselves politically and intellectually with the objective of replacing Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and Chen Man Hin as soon as possible.

Young leaders in DAP should not be parasites living off the assets and images of their fathers. It is irresponsible and simply contemptible.

As for N Rajen Diran's accusation that Teng Chang Khim is soft on the issue of Islamic state, it is simply haprak (hopeless) and does not need reply.