A COUPLE of days ago I received a WhatsApp message showing that we are leaving our teenage year – 2019. We are entering adulthood. Unfortunately, personally, it was a long time ago for me.

Adulthood is when one has reached the age of maturity, when parents lose parenting rights and responsibilities, and regarded as mature, independent and responsible. Growing up isn’t always fun. We have to make decisions, plan for the future, earn a living, balance our income and expenses, pay taxes and many, many more things to do.

In the context of our beloved country, each of us has to do our part – both leaders and the people. Being mature, we should be ready to make calculated decisions for the good of our future. 

Our new government should not use the excuse of being new and inexperienced after close to two years. Many have been in politics for years. They should be doing a better job since they have seen things from both sides.

The people should be mature enough to ensure things do not get out of control by giving constructive feedback to the government. From my viewpoint, it is now free for all, especially on social media. There was supposed to be rule of law but there seems to be no rules. The language used does not reflect maturity and comments made range from vulgar to instigating and provocative.

Some love to make a mountain out of a molehill. Relatively small issues are being dramatised and politicised unnecessarily. It leads to unproductive use of time and effort and create animosity. The mere prospect is like lighting matches and several buckets of petrol.

We wanted Malaysia Baru. Is this how we wanted it to be?

Finger-pointing is our new favourite pastime. Many of us are part of the problem and not part of the solution. We are trigger-happy forwarding articles or videos that we are enthusiastic about, to the point of obsession. We want to impose on others that it is the truth and absolute truth no matter what the circumstances are.

Is this the adulthood we are happy with?

I do not know about you but I will ask for moderation – a separator between excessiveness and remissness, between extremism and extravagance, and between normality and abnormality.

“Thus We have made of you a wasat (middle and just) nation that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Prophet (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves”. (Al-Baqarah 2:143)

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”. (Galatians 5:13). And we have the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism.

Also, I would also like to see the new government not be a dua kali lima, like the previous one. Please do not justify being a young adult. We expect you to begin to pick up speed.

Now is the “Winter of our discontent” and hopefully it will soon end and not extend to a “Summer of discontent”.

What say you…

Happy new year to all, young and old. – December 30, 2019.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.