Change is not revolution. The new state governments of Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah must understand the difference. Revolution is to overturn the existing regime, to break its original system, as well as to negate its original policy. In short, everything has to be restart.

In the 1799 French Revolution, the people overthrew the monarchy of Louis XVI to establish the Republic. The new regime negated the old order. One of the leaders, Robespierre said: “Louis must die for the sake of the Republic”. As a result, Louis was executed.

However, the Republic had also entered into a major catastrophe. The latest event was in the 1980s. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev, wanted to reform the Soviet Union.

His “Glasnot” (open up) and “Perestoika” (reform) are like two scalpels and cut on the patient- Soviet Union. The Soviet Union finally died within the next few years.

The history tells the world that changing the politics is different from changing the hairstyle. It cannot be changed immediately. Any changes must be gradual and step by step. It is especially for the deep-rooted old thinking, where patience and persuasion are needed for slow inspiration.

New thinking also need to be nurtured and instilled for a long period before they can become the mainstream values.

The thinking of racism and privileges will not disappear overnight. Of course, these thinkings may not dominate the country as what they were in the past. Nevertheless, they will still exist in some people's mind and mixed into the ideology of some political parties.

The new state governments must be patient. They must also avoid making drastic changes. The Penang state government can review the deviations of the New Economic Policy silently. However, it does not need any publicity. Otherwise, the rebound will be very intense. The people with bad intention might strike back and it may create social differences.

We are willing to give more time to the new state governments of Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah. After all, reform is not revolution. (By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by LEE MEI NYEE/ Sin Chew Daily)