In recent weeks, several events have heated up social media in Malaysia: the announcement of the indefinite Phase One of the Movement Control Control, rising cases of suicide due to pandemic-related hardships, insensitive reactions to the #BenderaPutih (white flag) movement by politicians, including trying to hijack or out-right dismissing the campaign, just to name a couple. On the international front, Malaysia is making headlines again for the wrong reason—National Geographic described the country as “one of the worst affected in the region,” while the Economist ranks Malaysia last in its return-to-normalcy index.
Malaysians apparently have had enough.
On 3rd July, the #BenderaHitam (black flag) campaign started on social media. The hashtag, along with its simpler but widely popular sibling hashtag #lawan (fight), recording a cumulative total of more than 200,000 mentions (and counting) mostly on Twitter (and including some count in blogs, and online media etc.), in the past week alone. The movement essentially makes three demands: (1) for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yasin (alias Muhyiddin Yassin); (2) for immediate reopening of Parliament; and (3) for the end to the state of Emergency.
The campaign has escalated after months of the #KerajaanGagal (failed government) hashtag and its iterations, including #KerajaanCirit, which trended after a two-sentenced press statement from the Prime Minister’s Office announcing that the embattled leader has been hospitalised due to diarrhoea.
Note: #lawan records a staggering number of mentions, leaving us wondering whether this online campaign is Malaysia’s most successful thus far. We think #lawan's popularity could be breaking some all time records in Twitterjaya.
The visceral anger from Malaysians seems triggered by the dubious conduct of the political elite, including, among others, illicit durian gatherings, official derision of the #BenderaPutih campaign, police investigation on the #BenderaHitam movement, and overseas trips. These put Malaysian citizens at odds with the country’s authorities.
On the business front, rumours and news of questionable land deals happening such as the Subang Airport deal and mining activities at Tasik Chini are abound, driving a stark contrast with the litany of reports of Malaysians struggling to get by amid the Covid-19 lockdowns. Malaysia’s upcoming 5G project, weighing in at RM11 billion (versus recent direct fiscal support of RM5 billion and RM10 billion for the needy bottom strata of Malaysia society), has gone viral in WhatsApp speculation. The sound of billions may not be sitting well with worries about more Malaysians falling deeper into financial despair and students still struggling to get access to the internet.
Hello there!
If you are able, do consider donating to organisations helping communities in need. Author Hanna Alkaf has compiled a useful Twitter thread on of #BenderaPutih initiatives here: thread of #BenderaPutih initiatives. Alternatively, KitaJagaKita maintains a fully verified list of the same over at their website: KitaJagaKita.com.
There is now also a map of food banks available throughout Malaysia created by Twitter user @penangstrays that can be shared to those who need the help: Food Banks: public food banks in Malaysia.