COMMENT | Wisdom rules the heart and mind of a great leader. But the best of leaders are fallible. They make bad judgements that cause a nation to suffer.

Some fall victim to their own deceit. And they leave a poisoned legacy and their name a curse.

In history, we learn of wise rulers who were acclaimed for their wise rule and benevolence and foolish ones who led their people to ruin.

Sadly, wisdom is a virtue rare among politicians today, and disappointingly in one whose advancing years and experience have not been of any evident advantage to his country.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is increasingly being criticised even cursed for his frequent lapses in judgement.

The brickbats are all out there in the social media. And his lapses of wisdom and backsliding have taken a toll on his personal standing. He is fast becoming a hated man as he once was.

His selective hearing at the Malay Dignity Congress and indiscretion in attending what turned out to be a racial 'hatefest' was not a wise thing to do for a leader of a multiracial nation.

I will not be surprised if it all turns out to be part of his game plan.

Some Malays who attended the event later wrote in social and the print media slamming the racist nature of the event. They felt offended at the vitriol against their fellow non-Malay countrymen in the name of their race and Islam, a religion that does not discriminate against race.

If certain Malays were upset, spare a thought for the non-Malays...