MALAYSIANS are angry, and it’s plain to see why.

It’s simply because of the government’s failure to bring the Covid-19 situation in the country under control resulting in many going hungry and resorting to suicide, said activists and political analysts.

Many have lost their jobs and have also resorted to begging to feed their families.

The situation is further exacerbated by the failed emergency and the double standards afforded to ministers and lawmakers who flaunt standard operating procedures (SOP) and escape with a slap on the wrist while regular Malaysians are penalised with hefty sums.

Analysts said the “White Flag” and “Code Black” initiatives are simply desperate Malaysians expressing their helplessness and venting their anger at Putrajaya.

Iswardy Morni, an activist who was one of the founders of the white flag movement, told The Malaysian Insight that people are voicing their displeasure and anger towards the government because they have had enough.

“Our anger is because we’ve had enough. They’ve had more than one year, why are we still so clueless (on how to handle the pandemic)?

“If you are not fit to lead, you must be self-conscious and admit guilt, hand it (the power) over to someone else.

“Resign if you can no longer do the job. This (being in government) is not a privilege, you were not voted in by the people. Why can’t you admit that you have done a terrible job?” said Iswardy.

He said despite multiple movement-control orders (MCO), the Covid-19 situation in the country has only worsened.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 6,988 fresh infections, a month after the country was put under total lockdown.

“When the MCO started last year, things were still under control but after the Sabah state election the numbers went up.

“Despite the implementation of various MCOs and the national immunisation programme, we are still reporting more than 6,000 cases daily,” he said.

He said the fact that people have resorted to begging for food with some even taking their own lives, shows that they are at their wit’s end.

“It makes me angry that the people are at that stage, the country has gone really wrong. It shows that the people see no other way out.”

Data released by Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department yesterday showed that 609 deaths by suicide were recorded in 2019, 631 in 2020, and 468 from January to May this year.

Iswardy said if people don’t show their displeasure now, there is a chance that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government may extend the emergency which is supposed to end on August 1.

He said the most important thing the government should do now is to break the chain of infections that originate mostly from industries and factories that are allowed to operate under the “half-baked” MCO’s SOP.  

Political analyst Oh Ei Sun said the movements such as the white flag shows that Malaysians are desperate as a lot of people have lost their means of livelihood under the MCO.

“What else can they do besides to bluntly ask for help?

“It testifies to the fact that the government was unable to take care of the welfare of those truly in need, especially the B40 such that they have to make a public gesture for help,” Oh told The Malaysian Insight.

The white flag movement was started by social media users who urged those who need help during the lockdown to raise a white flag outside their homes, and the public to provide assistance when they see the flags.

Oh said the Code Black movement by dissatisfied contract doctors was a long standing problem which is manifesting itself now due to the increased workload faced by healthcare workers.

“It is a fact that contract doctors don’t get promoted and they don’t have career prospects, it has been ongoing for a long time.

“It’s just that now at a very critical period that a lot of them are put on very heavy duty and they just can’t take it anymore.

“This is a long-standing problem and the government will have to solve it especially during this medical emergency.

“You can’t just solve it by means of penalising them, because if you penalise them there will be no doctors to handle the pandemic,” he said.

The Code Black campaign was launched by a medical group as a sign of protest against what it sees as an unfair contract medical officer system. It runs from yesterday to July 12, culminating in ‘Black Monday’ on July 12.

Oh added that hashtags such as #PMcirit, #KerajaanCirit and #KerajaanGagal, aimed at Prime Minister (PM) Muhyiddin Yassin who was hospitalised on Wednesday for diarrhoea, show that the people are fed up with this government.

Professor Sharifah Munirah, a lecturer in strategic studies and international relations at University Kebangsaaan Malaysia, said Malaysians’ anger towards the PM goes beyond mere disrespect.

“I do not think it is just a show of ‘disrespect’ for the PM. It is the ugly truth, a trend in our political culture that has been around for a long time. It’s just that the pandemic has shaken people up, to question everything now, and rightfully so.

“Despite the pandemic situation, economic, education and political crisis, some privileged few, and not just among the politicians, but many among the non-political cronies, can’t be bothered.

“It’s just the continuation of our elite, privileged, entitled mentality, among our leaders,” she said.

Let the Agong handle it

Veteran lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdullah said if the government cannot perform its tasks effectively, it should allow the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide who should take over as the new government.

“The people do not see the confidence of the government. That’s why the white flag campaign. Where do they go when they lose trust in the government?

“Perhaps the king can form a special committee to advise him on national matters,” he said.

Haniff added that under emergency rule, the government could have used its power to enact various ordinances to help the people, such as compel banks to give moratoriums instead of negotiating with them.

“The PM is hospitalised for diarrhoea but how did the people react. They made jokes out of it. Everything the government does now is a joke.”

On Wednesday, the PM’s office put out a statement saying Muhyiddin had been hospitalised for diarrhoea. Social media users had a field day making up memes and the hashtag “#PMCirit” was trending on Twitter.

Oh said under emergency rule, the only way to dislodge the PN government is if the king decides to form a National Operations Council (NOC).

“Under the emergency, if Anwar (PKR president Anwar Ibrahim) and Zahid (Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) meet the king and say they have a parliamentary majority, Muhyiddin may counter by officially advising the Agong to form a NOC.

“Then it will indeed be up to the infinite wisdom of the king to see whether he would agree to the formation of such when Muhyiddin doesn’t command the majority.

“Without an emergency on the other hand, it’s much more clear cut.

“If Muhyiddin loses parliamentary majority, the king can ask him to resign, but Muhyiddin may counter and dissolve parliament but the king can refuse the dissolution because of the pandemic, and in that case Muyiddin must resign,” Haniff said. – July 2, 2021.