The recent MCA polls showed that the power of incumbency is an advantage and it would be political suicide for aspiring candidates to go against the tide. Congratulations, though, are in order for the losing candidates as they gathered a significant number of protest votes from the delegates.

Gerakan has a big battle ahead with the number two man going against the incumbent president. One cannot foretell the outcome as both are strong candidates with ardent supporters. The Gerakan president's mistake was to think that he could chose his own successor.

But he failed to understand that delegates of the party have the inherent right to chose their successor without fear and favour while he can only recommend.

The winds of change are also blowing in the MIC where the reverse is happening with the long-standing president sponsoring a strong candidate to go against his erstwhile deputy president hoping that the his nominee will replace him after he leaves office.

It just shows that democracy is alive and kicking in the Barisan Nasional stable and the longstanding presidents of the components are reading well the voices of the grassroots who want to see the old leaders being replaced with new blood.

The prime minister is in his second year of office and now the time is as right as any to pick his own men to replace longstanding ministers from bygone areas. You don't have to be a political scientist to know that a Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards as there are still ministers who are embroiled in controversies. There must be a change.

Hopefully, these people in the Cabinet, who stick out like a sore thumb, will make the ultimate sacrifice and resign voluntarily to make way for the young and talented.

The BN parties are at crossroads now and if they don't re-brand their parties into more progressive parties with clean and honest leaders, the public might not be inclined to vote for them again in the coming polls. Reform or suffer the consequences of losing big in the coming elections.