AS millions starve and with thousands dead, the Perikatan Nasional government has shown its ineffectiveness and incompetence in handling the pandemic. The failure to contain Covid-19 has naturally sparked outrage across the country, and in certain cases concretising into different forms of protests.

From black flags to physical demonstrations , people began rallying for better governance and leadership. However, criticisms against these protests were very much apparent as well. Critics argued that it is not right to protest during a time of crisis because it will facilitate the spread of the virus and impede governance . 

But, is there really a right way to protest?

We are often only receptive if a protest is peaceful, if it doesn’t disrupt the status quo, or if it doesn’t cause disturbance to our lives. However, the essence of protest is to disrupt. In fact, for protest to be effective, it has to be jarring; it has to disturb the norms we have come to accept. 

Malaysians have been promised that the lockdown measures imposed will be our exit strategy for the pandemic. Yet after over 16 months, there is no exit in sight, and the PN government seems not to have learnt anything about handling the pandemic, but are instead busy politicking. 

Over 10,000 daily Covid cases, 6,000 Covid-related deaths, 1,000 suicides in a year, 7 million jobless, 60,000 starving. These are not just numbers, these are lives. These black flags are voices of reason. These protests are voices of reason. These are voices trying to let the government know that people are suffering, people are afraid, and people are tired. 

However, instead of sympathising, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz disregarded the intent of the white flag campaign (which the government has since hijacked and embraced) and rather maligned those who said the white flag equates to a failed statehood. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin mockingly said that Malaysians shouldn’t hang white or black flags, but hang blue (Perikatan Nasional) flags instead. Meanwhile, the government has installed a new deputy prime minister and a new senior minister to address political instability, rather than shift its focus to crafting a comprehensive welfare plan to help Malaysians in need.

The fact is those in power are ignoring the people’s plight. And history shows that protests, in general, have never been met with the approval of the powerful. They hated Bersih when the people flooded the streets in yellow. They hated Fahmi Reza when he made a jealousy-themed Spotify playlist. They hated contract doctors when they threatened a strike. Now, they hate the people who are raising black flags. It is almost certain that those with power and privilege would think, “I sympathise with these B40s, but do they have to hang black flags to show their dissatisfaction?” 

And so, people will still be hated, condemned, and oppressed regardless of the many methods of protests that they might undertake. Therefore, we have to realize that the right place, time, and way to protest is here, now, and by any means necessary. As Trevor Noah, host of US satirical news programme The Daily Show, puts it: “There is no right way to protest because that’s what protest is. It can’t be considered right by the system that it’s protesting.”

Protest is the essence of democracy. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Nevertheless, we know we’re not alone and we know that it could shift the discourse. It is time to disrupt the status quo, it is time to acknowledge that seeking validation of where, when, and how a protest should be is antithesis to the reason and function of protesting. 

After all, the right way to protest is always wrong. 

Note: While there isn’t really a right way to protest, this opinion piece doesn’t advocate that violence is necessary for a protest. We acknowledge that as protests become more extreme, they usually garner less support. Indeed, violent protests attract more media attention, however they tend to alienate potential allies. To put it simply, extreme tactics could hurt a movement by causing people who might be sympathetic to the cause, to distance themselves from that cause. – July 18, 2021.

* Sun Cheng Kidd reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.