Which qualities make good leaders - ego, patience, or street smarts?

COMMENT | What do former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim have in common? Actually, more than you can imagine.

Both are veteran politicians, with egos that need massaging. Both champion Islam and the Malay cause. Both need the Malays to further their political ambitions.

Both exploit the non-Malays. Both are poor judges of character. One can't choose his successors. The other surrounds himself with unsuitable types. Both think they are right, and both may as well have been born deaf.

If Mahathir had listened...