I have been following various views and comments on the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the "feel good factor" following the assumption of Pak Lah as our new prime minister, including the views of scholars and foreign commentators. I am not too sure whether any of the new leaders could ever measure up to Mahathir if they get the chance to be our prime minister.

Great statesmen like President Suharto, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Deng Xiao Ping and Mahathir are quite different from those leaders who are excellent managers of their nations, like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore for instance.

Many, if not most presidents and prime ministers never measure up as - most would just ride the tide of events. US president George W Bush is an excellent example of this. They therefore would hardly leave behind any positive mark in the history of their nation.

Great statesmen are measured by the missions and destinations they steer their nations to, and the new generation they help raise and nurture.

They are however not to be measured by the number of men doomed to martyrdom in battles as the main objective is to win the war and you may have to risk losing a few battles to win the war for strategic reasons. When the destination is the peak of a mountain with narrow and winding path cutting through dangerous ravine some men are bound to be lost along the way. The mountain is still captured even if half of the team reached the peak.

A firm hand is required to help mould a new generation of Malaysians who are resilient and strong enough to implement major development projects and withstand the onslaught of global competition where only the fittest would survive. They are venerated for the new pride and national identity, the self-image and solidarity they help to inspire.

Great leaders are known for their ability to mobilise and marshal their members to places where they could contribute the most. They are able to motive and tame them based on their greed and desire to get the best result out of them. They acknowledge that there is a place for everyone on the ship and therefore nobody should be thrown into the sea.

Mahathir, as a great leader par excellence, had demonstrated all those qualities and more. He had also demonstrated himself as an excellent manager .It is no surprise that he has the unusual ability to summarise details into high-level picture view and vice versa. This gives him a most powerful mental tool of being able to make a detailed opinion of most subjects that will not lose sight of the big picture, a rare quality indeed.

Although he is ambidextrous in this sense, his bias is clearly towards statesmanship rather than that of a super efficient leader. Sharp criticism from his detractors for the "fallen men" and "baggage lost" on the way are to be expected.

It is of course much too early to judge the leadership of Pak Lah. Technically, it would be better if he is biased towards efficient management. This change would help balance the outlook of our country.

Mahathir is therefore to be given his rightful place in the history of our country. He should not be buried before his death, so to speak. While he is still around, we should continue to show our gratitude and love to him as our great leader. We are fortunate to have the right leaders at the various phases of our national development. We should count our blessings.