3 times Malaysians stepped up when the govt failed

24/11/2022 Kyle Iman Culture, Health, Lifestyle, Politics, Science

There’s no doubt that no matter which country you live in, there will always be people talking smack about the government. While ours has admittedly done some good in the past, it’s undeniable that there’s been times they’ve slipped up too, because no government is perfect.

It’s in those times that we’ve often seen a remarkable extending of goodwill from none other than the rakyat themselves, because let’s face it: it sucks to see your fellow man in hardship. Here are some examples of some of those times.

 

1) Ridesharing when the LRT Kelana line rosak

Malaysian roads in PJ/KL are jammed enough as it is, so imagine the hassle in early November 2022 when 16 LRT stations on the Kelana Jaya line went out of commission because the Automated Train Control (ATC) system was disrupted. We don’t know what exactly that means, but TLDR: no trains on this line for a week.

Kelana Tak Jaya. Image from: RapidKL FB

Although RapidKL did try to soften the blow by adding 40 free shuttle buses to the line, it was regular Malaysians in the area who got together to offer carpooling services online for their fellow man/woman.

To their credit, RapidKL did offer free rides on the line for a week after it came back online, but the damage had already been done in the eyes of some Malaysians who blasted the government, especially caretaker Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong for going out to campaign without properly addressing the issue.

However, Wee went on to retain his seat in the general elections that followed, so it doesn’t seem that the issue broke his whole reputation. BN on the other hand, weren’t so lucky in the grand scheme of the overall election, but with a unity government with PH in the works, a chance for redemption could very well be on the horizon.

 

2) The white/black flag campaign (#KerajaanGagal/#KitaJagaKita)

Image from: Azhar Mahfof/The Star

Not gonna lie, watching Juang: The Movie in the cinemas brought us some PTSD flashbacks to the crazy period that was the MCO lockdowns. While we’re now enjoying a return to a somewhat normal life, Malaysians will never forget that those were trying times indeed. Businesses were closing, resources were scarce, and people were dying (many by their own hands).

Take the white flag campaign for instance, when Malaysians were literally putting up white flags outside their homes to indicate that they were on their last legs. Call it whatever you want: surrender, tawakal, nyawa-nyawa ikan; people were in a baaad spot, and many made their feelings known through the hashtag #KerajaanGagal. 

Because although the government was offering cash handouts such as Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat, it was being argued that not enough was being done to offset the economic and psychological effects of the economic lockdowns, especially when members of the ruling government were seen taking trips abroad and flouting the lockdown rules themselves. It didn’t help that some MPs were seen to have been riding the wave of the campaign’s popularity:

Fortunately, many Malaysians answered the call, spreading the word and initiating relief efforts. Netizens got on social media to spread the words of where they could go for help, with both individuals and organizations coming together to provide food for the less fortunate. These efforts in turn spawned another, more wholesome hashtag: #KitaJagaKita, which actually originated from the theme song of a popular Malay cartoon movie. Touching stories emerged of Malaysians living up to the hashtag, such as the neighbors of struggling 73 year-old mother Hatijah Neamat, who later said of them:

“I thought it would be outsiders who would come to help, like wealthy people or ministers or important people. But they said ‘We are neighbours. If someone puts up a white flag, of course we need to be concerned’.” – Hatijah Neamat

Post by anonymous Instagram user @lockdownkit promoting food relief for those in need. Image from: Instagram

Soon, another similar campaign surfaced, namely the Black Flag campaign, with the black flag raised in protest of the government:

“This act (of waving a black flag) is a message to the government that the people are sick and tired of the uncertain solution for the people’s and the country’s problems. This act is also the start for other acts should Muhyiddin fail to resign.” – Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR)

It seems as though it worked, as Muhyiddin resigned as Prime Minister after only 17 months in charge, with Ismail Sabri taking over.

 

3) Sri Muda floods

Amidst the argument that the floods could have been prevented with better infrastructure, the thing that made matters worse was the cascade of PR mistakes by the government in responding to it. For instance, then-Youth and Sports Minister Faizal Azumu was flamed when he held an officiating ceremony for volunteer relief efforts, which many saw as a lack of urgency. Several ministers also reportedly only showed up after the waters had subsided.

Do it for the ‘gram. Image from: BERNAMA

There’s also the Rina Harun incidents, where then-Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Rina Harun was photographed wearing high heels to a flood relief center, as well as using a water jet to clean an apparently already-clean school pavement (though it was later claimed that she was cleaning bird droppings).

Do it for the ‘gram: Part 2? Image from: social media/The Star

In fact, government response was said to have been so slow that the army actually decided to deploy troops on their own initiative to help flood victims without a directive from the government. The worst part? When Rina Harun actually introduced a flood relief initiative asking for funds, netizens responded with a ‘Do Not Donate To Government’ campaign. The government even offered RM1000 cash per affected household, but even that was rejected as it was deemed ‘too low’, and too troublesome to undergo the process to get the money. Sometimes you just can’t win.

Perhaps the silver lining was that it was, yet again, regular citizens who rushed into action to provide aid; even migrant workers were reported to have risked their lives to rescue victims. We also heard heartwarming stories of Malaysians who went above and beyond to help their fellow countrymen, such as Abang Viva, who drove all the way from Melaka to Shah Alam with a boat strapped to his car to personally rescue victims. Or the four young men who swam through literal high water to ensure that their elderly neighbors could eat.

Azwan Omar aka ‘Abang Viva’, one of the unsung heroes of the Sri Muda floods. Image from: @kulupkudin via Twitter, Penang Kini via FB

But with Sri Muda being hit by another round of floods in recent times, one has to wonder if citizen aid will be enough if disaster strikes once more.

 

The people have voted, but only time will tell if things get better

In the past couple of years, Malaysians faced an era of uncertainty because of unstable politics. But in the days following the recent GE, things arguably got worse, as can be seen from how some Malaysians have turned on each other online: PH supporters vs PN supporters, the May 13 threats, and the propagation of racial sentiments.

It is a time of great uncertainty, but as these instances have proven, when the politicians we fervently support fail, we only have each other to depend on. So no matter which party becomes government, and who becomes the next PM, always remember that it’s kita who will jaga kita, and no politician or party should ever get in the way of that. To quote decorated football manager Jose Mourinho: “no player is bigger than the club”.

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