Much ink has been spilt on the ongoing struggle between BN and Pakatan Rakyat, as well as the internal alignments and battles within Umno and other political parties like Sapp. Malaysians remain on the edge of our seats, as something new and unexpected unfolds each new day.

Amidst the speculation and power struggles, what is certain is that there is change. Though there are other needs that appear more urgent at this point in time - things like freeing Raja Petra and replacing the government - it might be worthwhile taking a step back to think about the nature of this change.

What is motivating us anyway? We talk about change, about 'reformasi', but what are we changing to? What are we reforming, and why are we reforming it? Most importantly, what is the goal of our reformation and change? We have to think about such things so that we know what we're getting into for the long haul. And why we're in it in the first place.

If our aims are mainly economic and pragmatic, as some letters and comments suggest, if Pakatan Rakyat were to take over in today's global economic climate, there might not be much short-term improvement.

Will we abandon the cause if things don't go our way financially and if our demands aren't met? Will we be disillusioned if our lives aren't in the short-term more comfortable? The whole world appears to be heading for a tough few years ahead, economically speaking, and it is unlikely Malaysia - regardless of the person in charge - will be spared in this age of globalisation.

It seems that the motives for change have to go deeper. It's not just about the money. It goes beyond the person we support, or the party we've pledged our allegiance to. For there to be real change, there has to be a change of heart. There has to be a change of our structures - the way we think, the way we do things. It is no easy task, but change means overcoming ideology spread among our youth, especially through Biro Tatanegara.

Whatever we think of our current PM, for argument's sake, say we give him the benefit of the doubt as we think back to his sweeping to power in 2004 as ‘Mr Clean’. Even if he was ‘Mr Clean’ back then, he ran into systems and structures which were either incorrigible, or that he was unable or unwilling to change.

While he might have tried to make piecemeal changes here and there, the system remained intact. Rather than cleaning up or reforming the system, many now believe he has been sucked into it and become part of what needs to be reformed.

Taking a step back from the ongoing political feuds and headlines of today, we need to think about change in the long term. If Pakatan Rakyat take over or if there's a power transfer in BN (an internal 'reformasi', some may say), what next? Is that all there is to change, the leader in a political party?

Surely there is more. If the system is corrupt and needs to be reformed, besides the colourful rhetoric, we need to get down to the less glamourous bits: putting on our thinking caps, pulling on our gloves and getting to work on the nitty gritty.

If we haven't already, we need to start thinking about what comes next. Among many other things, this involves thinking through fundamental questions: What does it mean to be Malaysian? What do we value? How did things go wrong, and how do we avoid that happening again?

How should we treat each other, and go beyond just Bangsa Malaysia, how should we treat our foreign guests who are often the weakest and poorest among us, yet are propping up our economy?

To me, it seems an overwhelming task - there is much to be done - but there is hope and there has never seemed a time more apt for the rallying cry, Malaysia Boleh. Albeit with God's help.