SEKRETARIAT Solidariti Rakyat (SSR), the youth coalition behind the recent #Lawan protests, appears to be filling the gap for street demonstrations since the last major protest held by Bersih in November 2016, analysts said.
 
While they are no different from the existing civil society groups that have organised street rallies before, it is not likely that SSR will replace those groups, seeing as each of them work on different areas of reform respectively.
 
Instead, SSR can take on the role of raising public awareness about issues like the right to freedom of expression, to complement other groups that focus on lobbying, advocacy work, or education.
 
Analysts welcomed the emergence of the group to keep the government accountable, but some also questioned if SSR can consistently maintain its message of reform in the long run.
 
Most importantly, SSR should look at structuring itself to last for the long-run if it intends to play an effective role as a civil society group, they said.

Long-term plans and keeping momentum

International Islamic University of Malaysia’s Dr Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said being organised to face long-term challenges will help SSR maintain its role as a pressure group.
 
“It is only realistic that they organise themselves separately. In doing so, there is more added pressure to the regime,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
 
Tunku Mohar said SSR was able to gain traction over a short period of time because many youths today feel neglected and unheard by the authorities. SSR became a channel for their grievances to be heard. 
 
“The exposure to other civil disobedience movements around the world has also (demonstrated ways) to start a groundswell to create awareness among the larger public about issues that should concern them,” he said.
 
He added that organising a street rally during a pandemic required tact and creativity.

 
SSR has been responsible for four protests so far, which were carried out through different mediums.

The first was the July 3 #BenderaHitam protest on social media, in which Malaysians were encouraged to post photos of them flying a black flag on social media networks as a sign of dissatisfaction towards the Perikatan Nasional government under the leadership of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
 
This was followed by a small #Lawan protest at Dataran Merdeka on July 17, a black flag vehicle convoy on July 24, and a larger scale #Lawan protest at Dataran Merdeka on July 31.
 
At these events, black was the signature colour, as was the hashtag #KerajaanGagal (failed government).
 
On August 19, the group held a candlelight vigil for the victims of Covid-19, which ended with the arrests of several participants. 

31 people were issued with a RM2,000 compound each.
 
Subsequently, a protest that was scheduled to take place on August 21 was cancelled after Muhyiddin resigned. 
 
The police nonetheless got a court order to stop the rally from going ahead. They had also blocked several roads in the city on the day, despite the organisers informing them that the rally had been cancelled.
 
Ilham Centre director Hisommudin Bakar said it remains to be seen whether SSR can maintain its momentum as a group that demands change.
 
“SSR’s goal is to see the government act more effectively towards their demands, but we’ll have to see if this group can carry its message of reform consistently and in the long run,” he said.
 
Hisommudin also agreed with Tunku Mohar that while SSR is no different from other groups pushing for reform, participation in its street rally may not have been as big as those organised by Bersih, as SSR’s protests were held during a pandemic with social distancing rules in place.

Filling the vacuum 

Meanwhile, political analyst Oh Ei Sun said SSR’s movement is more spontaneous and organic compared to other groups.
 
“If you look at the several rounds of protest organised by (them), it appears that they are more spontaneously and organically organised.
 
“Bersih and other groups have a central committee, which is lacking in the SSR. Its leadership is organic and it doesn’t have a permanent secretariat, despite the name.”
 
He also compared the #Lawan protests to flash protests or flash mob performances that are favoured by the younger generation, which fills the gap left by Bersih.
 
“Bersih has evolved into being more about voter education and election reform, while a group like Proham is moving towards education and raising awareness on human rights. 
 
“SSR is now filling the gap in terms of organising street protests,” he said.
 
Oh noted, however, that SSR is similar to Bersih in the sense of its multiracial and multicultural composition and participation. – August 29, 2021.