BLACK flags and fake corpses were placed on the ground in Dataran Merdeka today as part of a peaceful protest against the Perikatan National (PN) government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Youth-based group Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR) said the government had failed to control the pandemic, despite measures such as a state of emergency and lockdowns.

“The government’s implementation of an emergency and the movement control order to address the escalation in Covid-19 cases has clearly failed.

“The PN government has lost credibility, the fate of the people is in curbing the pandemic, which has failed and those who have raised white flags (to ask for help) have even been insulted, while the number of infections keeps rising,” SSR said in a statement released in conjunction with its protest.

The insult is a reference to Muhyiddin’s remarks two days ago telling people there was no need to raise white flags if they needed help, because the government would provide aid.

However, he also joked that they could still raise a blue flag, the colour of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

The fake bodies placed on the turf at Dataran Merdeka symbolises the rising number of Covid-19 cases as well as suicides.

The group today also brandished black flags and a banner with the hashtag #KeluarDanLawan (come out and fight).

SSR said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin must resign, allow for a full parliamentary sitting and authorise an automatic bank loan moratorium for all.

They said that the people are tired and angry with the “egoistic attitude” of the PN government, which insists on clinging to power.

“The government’s continued inefficiency and negligence in handling the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic and the attitude of changing decisions abruptly have resulted in continued confusion for all Malaysians in all sectors, especially the economic sector.

“The attitude of the prime minister and the cabinet, who continue to ridicule the people’s white flag campaign, is insensitive towards the grievances of people suffering loss of income.

“People will starve to death due to lack of income or die from Covid-19. Meanwhile, the prime minister can still make silly jokes to raise the blue flag.”

SSR today urged all Malaysians to wear black as a symbol of anger and frustration towards the PN government. – July 17, 2021.