I agree with the observation of YL Wong's, 'Pak Lah receding instead of succeeding', (Oct 6) that the Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is not performing as well as a successor should.

The reason is simple: old, egoistical and vain autocrats love mediocre young men and women who are deemed to be less 'threatening' in that they would be less likely to overshadow, outshine or out-perform them. Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Lim Kit Siang and Dr Ling Liong Sik all share the same autocratic characteristic.

In Mahathir's case, if his former challengers and heirs apparent Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Anwar Ibrahim were given a fair opportunity to compete with him, then he and his present deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not be in politics now.

It is time for Malaysian youths who are in search of excellence, to build their own networks and organisations and not entertain any hope for a 'smooth transition' that is actually dictated by the whims and fancies of old and ageing autocrats, be they Mahathir, Kit Siang or Ling.