Their form of dissent over the nation’s current affairs in art has taken social media by storm, with their audiences uniting and rallying under expressions of mutual frustration and rage.

Artists told The Malaysian Insight that these forms of protests have been effective in letting their voices be heard by politicians.

They also said their work had given people some cheer amid the dark and depressing Covid-19 season.

One such prominent protester is Dian Amani, who is almost graduating from her tertiary education in New York, United States.

She said she was forced to take note of Malaysian politics during the pandemic.

The 26-year-old was born and bred in Kuala Lumpur until she decided to pursue art and theatre overseas in 2014.

“My teacher told me, ‘If I want to channel my anger and frustration, just channel through art’.

“I was so angry with Minister of International Trade and Industry Mohamed Azmin Ali, I figured that protest song out in 20 minutes,” said the budding actor.

So far, she has posted seven videos voicing her displeasure about the injustice and double standards of the nation’s lawmakers, through a series of songs.

“I checked every day to see what’s up with politicians today, who did which wrong to whom, because it’s my turn to sing about you.

“My government is being stupid and I didn’t know who to complain to, so I complained to social media,” Dian said.

To her surprise, she did not expect her outcry to be heard and supported by many Malaysians.

“When I woke up the next morning, I had 2,000 (additional) followers and 500 direct messages thanking me for what I did. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.”

She said her husband too was shocked when he clicked to view the insights of her post and saw it penetrated to 300,000 profiles.

“The next thing he asked was: ‘Are you going to jail?” Dian laughed.

She believed it was time for the youth to rise after being silenced for too long and all they desired was for a better Malaysia and for freedom.

“We don’t get to have a say in a lot of things, I can’t question religion, royalty, politicians.

“That was my experience growing up in the government school, and if anything, I would get suspended from school.

“Our politicians, in how their generation is treating our country, they do not love our country. Our generation loves our country more,” Dian said.

Digital medium

Content artist Vikneswaran Veerasundar said that graphic designer and activist Fahmi Reza has forged the way for many Malaysian artists to express dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Fahmi has recently been called for police investigations because of his satirical graphics on the nation’s affairs, the seventh time this year.

“As an Indian creator, there is a way bigger risk in voicing out, so Fahmi as a Malay artist doing what he does, he has opened the door for everyone.

“More creators now could have the courage to do something slightly below what he has done.

“I have also heard some of his Clubhouse sessions where he properly educates on the steps to respond when the authorities knock on your door,” Veerasundar said.

Known widely by his handle name @vikarworld, he has also used his platform to rant about the government creatively.

On July 7, he wrote and rapped the song: Dear PM, an open letter to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“It was a completely different approach, people had expected me to just do comedy, and then came a serious song.

“While I was writing, I felt relieved in a weird way, I can’t reach out to the prime minister, nobody can.

“So, the only way is to put your content out, and hope that the engagement and the high views would get to him,” the 28-year-old said.

He believes that the digital platform is the medium of protest today and in the future post-pandemic.

“For the next generation, everything will be online, it is the best place to say your piece with a higher reach.

“I don’t undermine what the Bersih rally, a physical street demonstration, had done.

“It was huge for the country, but protest now comes in different and various styles,” Veerasundar said.

Cheering Malaysians

Comic artist by profession, Ernest Ng had been uploading new episodes of his Covidball Z webcomics series every 10 to 15 days.

It has featured many politicians and famous figures in Malaysia, illustrating the top news in Malaysia through the anime style.

“I have always been drawing about social and current affairs, even before the 2018 general elections, but never on this scale,” he said.

Ng toned down a bit to focus on entertainment and lifestyle news in 2019 before revisiting when the infamous Sheraton Move happened in February last year.

“Many were confused about the political turmoil and I wanted to put it in a way that young people could understand.

“It was supposed to be a one-off, but the audience became invested in it and requested more episodes.

“Then Covid-19 hit our shores hard, and I didn’t expect to keep going,” he said.

Though many flocked to his page for news reference, Ng said he constantly put the disclaimer that the comic is not a news portal.

He said that there were readers who questioned whether he was biased because of the selective topics that the comic included.

The Malacca native also said that the comics do not side with any political parties or have any intention to create propaganda.

“If any politicians and ministers want to be seen in a good light, do good things and you will essentially be portrayed as more heroic.

“I am just an entertainer and a comic artist, and my aim is to make people laugh during these dark and depressing times.

“I also hope to inform people of the realities and dangers of this pandemic and to be careful,” the 35-year-old said.

Ng added that an impact he appreciated was having front-liners thanking him because his art had given them a break from the harsh realities of the world.

Jingles for the occasion

A local singer-musician known by her pseudonym Takahara Suiko, 31, said her work was summarising the public’s rage into songs they can listen to daily.

“The lyrics are time-sensitive as it concerns issues of today so I write it as soon as possible.

“It usually takes around six hours of creation from scratch to complete the edit,” she said.

During the pandemic, she had narrated about the shortage of Gardenia bread at stores and Mount Kiara joggers arrested for flouting the standard operating procedures.

Using art to convey societal issues is not new to the Selangor native, as she started at the age of 17.

“I would read news and articles online and if it enrages me enough, I would write about it.

“My first song was on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have also written about incestuous rape and way too many songs on corruption in the government,” she said.

With serious content at hand, Takahara has always turned it light-hearted with humour.

She hopes that young people would not accept the content online at face value or merely as entertainment but would also do their due diligence to process deeper.

Takahara advised any youth willing to protest online to find a supportive community and best to keep anonymity.

“Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, the girl who spoke against rape jokes had her parents behind her back though the school did not support her.

“It’s important to have a community you can resonate with as it can be detrimental to your mental health.”

For Takahara personally, she learned to safeguard her work by using metaphor.

“I did so for one song I wrote about ex-prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

At that time, it was dangerous to talk about them,” she said.

She also never posted about her family nor private life on her social media page for fear of threats and attacks on her loved ones. – July 30, 2021.