Singapore, Oct 27: The imminent retirement of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is part of a sweeping political makeover across East Asia, where a new generation of leaders is taking charge. Mahathir, 77, who came to power in 1981 when Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Leonid Brezhnev dominated the global stage, will step down on Friday and hand over his job to his Deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi 63.

Over the next 18 months, presidential or parliamentary elections are expected to take place in Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. Singapore is also preparing for a leadership change. While some analysts see the widespread shakeup as a positive development, others fret over the scope and speed of the transition.

But Rodolfo Severino, the former Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), disagreed.

Bureau Report