Calls from our national leaders such as Rahim Tamby Chik and Azalina Otman Said for Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Anuar Zaini Mohd Zain's resignation to take responsibility for Friday night's fire at UM are, in my opinion, a bit rich.

While it is a sign of maturity and responsibility for a real leader to step down and to accept responsibility for his/her mistakes, these people are hardly the ones to call for Prof Anuar Zaini's head.

They should first lead by example - there were many instances before when some other people should have played the Roman (figuratively, of course) to paraphrase Shakespeare, but instead are somehow still in positions of power and responsibility.

Who is to take responsibility for the Al-Ma'unah arms raid? Who is to take responsibility for that multi-billion ringgit white elephant, the KLIA? Who is to take responsibility for that infamous mega-blackout of the mid-1990s? How about being caught with a suitcase full of money in a foreign airport?

Don't ask others to do what one is not prepared to do.