YOURSAY | 'This is where Mahathir scores the lowest – by showing a lack of magnanimity.'

Dont Just Talk: As long as former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is neither senile nor suffering from dementia, he is not too old to be the PM of Malaysia for a term.

What Malaysians need is a strong, liberal and transitional leader from the opposition, who is acceptable by the majority of MPs, and this would suffice.

What Malaysians do not want is replacing PM Najib Razak with another corrupt leader from Umno Baru, which is akin to just changing an old wine bottle with a new one.

SteveOh: I don't think age is a criterion for a prime minister. It is ironical Mahathir should even mention it. He is 91 years old and can still slug it out in the 'poohlitical' arena with those half his age.

His fixation with Anwar's 'immoral behaviour' is misplaced. Even if it were true, and the popular opinion is it is not, Anwar's sodomy conviction was due to 'dirty politics'.

Mahathir lacks magnanimity. The more gracious Anwar makes him look like an ogre. Anyone who can walk and feed himself and think straight and is not crooked and corrupt can be prime minister.

Anwar is a charismatic leader and can regain the country's lost image because he is clever with words but does not appear to be strong in team-building and attracts too many who turn Judas.

What Malaysia needs is a strong team, and it is time to discard the cult of personalities and privilege, religion and race, royalty and the rakyat. Malaysia has serious structural and cultural defects. Unless changes happen it will stagnate.

VoiceofConscience: Mahathir, there is a bit difference between 68 and 74. Of course, his ideal candidate for PM is his son, but Mukhriz is too mediocre. His daughter Marina is perfect, but she is not into politics.

1Citizen: As usual, Mahathir has double standards. He resigned as PM not by choice, and how old was he then?

The Analyser: Physical age is not a determinant of leadership, but attitude is. Anwar's selfish attitude is no different to that of Mahathir's, or any other contender for power in Malaysia.

Appum: Mahathir, if Anwar had not gone to jail as a result of your trumped-up charges, and suffered the agonies that he had to endure, he wouldn't be the man he is today - a more liberal and fair individual.

Because he has seen how cruelly his own people and colleagues have treated him in the course and cause of politics, he is a changed man. I would not support Anwar if he had remained a pure Umno man.

He had the Umno brain and mentality, his actions were racial and religiously skewed, he behaved like a typical Umno leader. But he is a changed man now, and if he returns to his old ways we can easily reject him again.

But is he, at 68, too old? Ronald Reagan became the US president at 69. You just don't want to see your victim be a PM, that's all. For fear of what, we don't know.

CucuMalaysia: I agree with you, 'Appum'. If Anwar were still in Umno and had not suffered under Mahathir's hand, he wouldn't be what he is today. Having said as much, whether he is for all Malaysians should he come into power, remains to be seen.

His party PKR hasn't proven to be strong and decisive on policies pertaining to all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion. In many instances, their Selangor menteri besar, even Anwar himself, kept quiet over the many issues related to the Islam created by Umno.

It looks like the younger generation PKR leaders like Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli are the only bright light in this party. Most PKR members still have residual Umno DNA.

Chouseefatt: Mahathir, you're a shallow, scheming, cunning old coot (though compared to Najib you look heroic). Anwar has always been the real intellectual, idealist and visionary you only pretended to be.

No other politician has suffered greater insult, humiliation and harassment than Anwar... and he hasn't given up. What does that show about the man? When he speaks, people feel inspired.

The exact opposite happens when you or your erstwhile minions in Umno Baru open their venomous mouths.

P Dev Anand Pillai: Dear Mahathir, you are seeing what you allowed to fester under your watch. Give the younger leaders a chance, those below 50.

They will bring the change that is very much needed in this country after decades of being run by governments that are just not bothered to be accountable to the people whom they get their power from.

A complete change is very much needed. Perhaps your son should start by joining a multiracial party instead of seeking to become a PM through a one-race party.

LifeFlier: Up to April 11, 2016, there isn't any sign of remorse from Dr M – while some say it’s yet to come, some have made a foregone conclusion that the leopard cannot change its spots.

While the 1MDB scam is a serious breach of trust and a heavy crime which requires immediate action as overzealous citizens try to nail down the culprits, many seem to lose focus on the system that has brought us to such a mess.

And some leaders are even willing to go to the extent to capitalise on the symptoms for one's political gain, without knowing that by doing so, it actually reinforces the same cause at its root level.

So long as Dr M does not admit his past mistakes and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang does not present us a clear plan of reform, this opinion holds.

The Citizens' Declaration drafted such a way loses its shine. The 1MDB frenzy steals the limelight from its nobility (imagine, 32 clauses of a total 37 talking about 1MDB).

Maybe this is what lay people are interested in and therefore can be easily convinced, thus they won't hesitate to put down their signatures.

Behsaikong: Anwar has been shown to be the more noble man between the two. He has not harped on Mahathir's past whereas Mahathir continues to condemn Anwar who was convicted against the belief of many Malaysians.

Anwar shows himself fit to be the nation's leader. He pursues vital issues which the nation faces, not personalities.

FellowMalaysian: Mahathir, the inimitable, enigmatic and redoubtable, could never be trusted and this ageing chameleon once again revealed his mettle.

Since day one when Citizen's Declaration was announced, Anwar and PKR have been consistently backing the movement and Anwar has also issued statements in support of Mahathir in his objectives, the chief of which is seeking Najib's ouster.

It is bewildering that Mahathir could now turn around, spurned and poured scorn over Anwar's espousal of Citizen's Declaration and has the incredulity to even say, “I just can't tell him to stop supporting me because I don't like your face.”

Mahathir's enmity, anathema and animosity against Anwar remain unabated to this day though their feud happened 20 years ago.

While Islam calls for its followers to be merciful and forgiving, Mahathir's unwavering stand against Anwar's personal conduct and refusal to accept Anwar's overtures showed that the nonagenarian will never realise his weakness and his past wrongdoings.

Wsoi: Dr M believes Umno should continue to rule the country, but not the majority Malaysians think so. So why should we support his declaration if we believe that Umno is damaged beyond repair?

Oilman2204: This is where Mahathir scores the lowest – by showing a lack of magnanimity.

Nes: He is a racist, and now he is an ageist? Can we trust this guy? Indeed, because of him many do not want to sign the Citizens' Declaration.

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