AS a teenager, one of the “must-singalong songs” whenever it was aired over the radio was the theme song from the movie Mahogany, which was made popular by Diana Ross.

It goes, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to, do you know? Do you get what you’re hoping for? When you look behind you there’s no open door. What are you hoping for, do you know?”

For a teenager then, this perhaps resonated with my own search for identity and direction. These lyrics best describe what Malaysia is going through in this new era… do you know where you are going to?

It’s now 100 days since we have had a new government and not just political analysts have been watching closely but even the man on the street is now an analyst, which is not a bad thing I believe.

Though much scrutiny has been laid on the promises of the Pakatan Harapan government, we know that it is difficult to undo many things of the past in such a short time but the expectant Malaysian wants to see results.

As much as we were divided before the 14^th general election, we are just as divided after May 9 because many Malaysians were clear as to what was needed before GE14 but now that we have a change in leadership, it’s quite difficult to define what kind of Malaysia most of us want in this new era.

Thus, the divided opinions over a series of political, economic, social and even moral issues have found their way into the limelight in the past 100 days.

It is said that that there are two things that one must not speak of at the dinner table, religion and politics, and we know that in Malaysia, whether old or new, this is going to be inseparable for years to come.

The survival of any political party in Malaysia seems to hinge on the ability to find a perfect balance even though it is repeatedly being said “don’t mix politics with religion” and vice-versa.

Most people agree that for good governance there needs to be clear separations of power but the separation of politics and religion is a grey area that begets varied opinions, from the extreme left to the far right.

There seems to be no pleasing everyone on many of these issues that finds its way into the political and religious domains.

For the liberals, surely a “Theo-centric” model of governance does not augur well; while religious exponents will somewhat frown at the “laïcité” model that separates religion and politics.

We seem to be in a conundrum. Either way, there is a section of the population who are going to be unhappy. The sad reality of Malaysian politics is that the opposition always seem to be on the side of the section that is unhappy and seemingly championing their “cause”.

The blend of religion and politics is a reality that Malaysian politics would have to find ways to navigate through.

For Malaysia, there isn’t an either-or option, choosing one over the other. Perhaps we need to find a new “paradigm of hybridity” that defines this new Malaysia.

I believe this takes time and most surely not in 100 days. Most people don’t want a theocratic state and many people do not want a secular state in the way that defines the Western world since religion is part of the DNA of our constitution. What does that leave us with?

Generally, there are two ways of bringing change. One can either force change to happen, like what happened on the night of May 9, or allow the processes that effect change to slowly take root.

Many of us would most likely choose the former because we want to see results, at least in our lifetime but there are things that will take another generation to see the fruits of change.

The problem with political change is that most of us want to see immediate change and sometimes that is not always the case.

We have to accept that a large segment of the Malaysian population still view politics using the “religious” or the “liberal” lenses and no matter who is in power, it is going to be like walking the tightrope.

Every group with a cause to champion wants to see their own agenda through and thus pushing the government of the day into a tie corner. Perhaps it’s time that we Malaysians see the bigger picture… to put back the foundations that define Malaysia and let these processes of change effect the other aspects of our life.

It’s time to prioritise what changes we want to see in the coming years and accept the fact there are some that we may have to leave for the next generation to labour for and enjoy its fruits. – August 20, 2018.

* Dr Clarence Devadass is a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart. He focuses on paving resourceful ways to promote virtues for living in a multireligious society, for a significant life together.

* 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.