US paper says Mahathir’s entry in polls brings back the ‘age-old’ debate

PETALING JAYA: At 92, Dr Mahathir Mohamad could soon make history as the world’s oldest head of government, but a US daily says there are generally no age limits on being a world leader.

Acknowledging the heavy workload and travel requirements that accompany such positions, The Washington Post said older candidates could find these difficult to handle.

However, it noted that most countries had a minimum rather than maximum age limit for heads of state or government.

“Few nations have any upper limit on the ages of their leaders.

“Indeed, when push comes to shove, the few limits there are can be strategically ignored – China’s Xi Jinping, 63, is widely expected to flout Beijing’s informal retirement age of 68 to continue for a third term – or outright repeal it, as happened in recent years in Turkmenistan and Uganda, by legal means,” the daily said.

Mahathir caused a stir on Sunday when opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) announced him as its prime ministerial candidate if it wins in the 14th general election (GE14).

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail meanwhile was announced as his deputy.

Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003, is expected to serve as interim prime minister while PH continues efforts to free Anwar Ibrahim from prison.

In an exclusive interview with FMT last year, he dismissed the possibility of making a prime ministerial comeback, saying that at 92, he was “old”.

In a Facebook Live session in June, he said he considered himself a retiree and had previously vowed never to take up the responsibility again.

He added however that he would consider the move if it was the wish of the public.

The Washington Post said having older leaders in office allowed them to “draw on wisdom accrued over decades of high-level decision-making”.

“Experts generally agree that age alone can’t determine someone’s health or ability to work,” it added.

For Malaysian voters, in fact, it said the question was not whether Mahathir had changed too much over the years.

“Malaysian voters’ worry may not be that Mahathir has changed too much, but that he has not changed enough.

“During his 22 years in office, Mahathir had a fearsome reputation as an authoritarian with little time for liberal values, and his tactics paved the way for Najib,” it said, referring to current Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“Mahathir has expressed little regret for his excesses since reentering politics last year.” -FMT