KUALA LUMPUR — Although one in two Malaysians in a recent survey said veteran politicians should make way for younger leaders, neither Barisan Nasional (BN) nor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has a clear succession plan, said analysts, citing an entrenched patronage system and lack of mentoring as the main reasons.

They also said the culture of reverence for prominent older personalities posed a stumbling block to identifying and grooming potential leaders.

Political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun from Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said neither coalition appeared to have a clear-cut and smooth succession plan.

“This is mainly because Malaysian political parties are typically Leninist in nature and thrive on personality cult of the incumbent leaders. So succession becomes a taboo subject within the parties,” he said.