In reponse to J Brendon's The one criterion for PM's successor (Mar 26) and Thomas Kong's letter Who will be the next PM?, the truth is there is a power vacuum because of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's autocracy.

More than any other Malaysian leaders, Mahathir has suppressed the rule of law and democracy to maintain his power and move the country in the direction of his vision. By removing any challenges to his position, Mahathir has also destroyed a strong successor to his throne. Time and again, he groomed successors only to use and destroy them when he is troubled.

To be fair, many Asian countries from Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia employed the same method and formula which worked because these were emerging economies that paid less importance on individual creativity and productivity.

The world is however on the throes of vast changes as we move into a knowledge economy that pays more attention to individual rights and initiatives.

In other words, the future is going to be more uncertain for Malaysia than ever before and the next PM has to rise above the past. The truth is Mahathir has failed miserably to prepare Malaysians for the future and the task is going to fall on future leaders.

The idea that one can continue Mahathir's legacy is laughable and the idea of resorting to unseasoned young intellectual is naive. The future for the next PM is daunting and frankly, I do not think anyone gets away glossing over issues the way it is being done now.