Let’s not let our freedoms backslide

 

On Monday, my heart swelled with pride as I saw junior contract doctors stand up for their rights to express themselves by participating in a brief strike action called by the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK).

Here were government contract doctors at around 20 hospitals carrying out mass walkouts in a nationwide strike to demand job security and better career opportunities. What’s more, many turned out despite facing intimidation from their superiors threatening to take disciplinary action against them.

The striking doctors also went to great pains to ensure that the care of hospital patients was not jeopardised in any way with guidelines for participants assigned to critical care departments that they should only walk out at 11am after "pass-over", or transfer of duties, to the permanent doctor on duty.

Now before we go any further, let’s be very clear about this – the strike action would not have happened if our society was structured in a way that junior people can express criticism and suggest improvements in their respective fields without their seniors feeling threatened and overreacting.

These were frontliners, brave individuals who have been risking their lives daily in one of the most important battles we will ever know – that of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

They did try to raise their grievances through proper channels repeatedly but felt they were brushed off and being treated unfairly. So what other choice did they have other than a public protest?

This was no fiery demonstration but an orderly one as doctors, clad largely in black and carrying placards and posters, left their respective health facilities in unison at 11am. I, for one, was moved by the display of solidarity - power to the people!

It should come as no surprise however that instead of being listened to properly, they are being dealt with in a heavy-handed manner.

Now I must say that Health Minister Dr Adham Baba should be commended for saying no disciplinary action will be taken against the striking doctors and they were within their rights to do so. And inspector-general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said there is no indication that the planned strike by contract doctors would threaten public order – which it didn’t.

Yet despite all this, the message does not seem to have filtered through to overzealous hospital authorities who have filed police reports.

Harassment continues

Dang Wangi police chief Mohamad Zainal Abdullah told Malaysiakini cops would probe the strike at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) because during the movement control order period, “no one is allowed to assemble or engage in any gathering at any place for any purpose whether religious, social, sports, marriage or cultural without the permission of the health director-general”.

"This is under Regulation 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021," he said.

Sadly, the theme of intimidation was a recurring one - HDK organisers said they received more than 20 threats in a six-hour span on Sunday, the day before the protest. Worst still is what played out last night – this after doctors at the Covid-19 quarantine centre at Maeps, Serdang decided to cancel the proposed walkout when threatened with police arrest.

At late night on Tuesday and into the early morning hours of Wednesday, police were interviewing medical officers and nurses one by one in an attempt to press them for information, Malaysiakini was told by lawyer Asheed Ali who is acting for HDK.

And on the day of the event, police entered the media room at Maeps to inform members of the media that only the Selangor Information Department was allowed to “cover” the event and even official media such as RTM and Bernama were not allowed. A Malaysiakini video journalist, who had begun a livestream, was ordered to cease and media personnel were escorted off the premises.

So what gives Malaysia? Why is the establishment so rattled by peaceful dissension?

Right-wing narrative

And why do many regular Malaysians misunderstand the meaning of protest? It’s part of the right-wing narrative to portray protesters as disloyal and disruptive troublemakers, while the authorities are suppressing the rights of the common man.

But a lifetime of brainwashing and poor awareness of workers’ rights mean that some netizens even called the striking doctors “murderers”. Can you beat that – how ignorant and cold-hearted do you have to be?

There are even cowards in our society who love to complain and yet never dare to take action.

Embarrassingly, many senior doctors were keen to toe the establishment line and actively opposed the strike action despite knowing the frustrating circumstances faced by their junior colleagues. The Health DG, the Malaysian Medical Association and others who distanced themselves may think they covered themselves in glory, but I’d venture that the opposite is true.

Malaysia has a very rich tradition of protest and strike actions which show that the spirit of the people will persevere despite attempts to suppress them. In post-World War II, a large multiracial strike known as the All-Malaya Hartal was held on Oct 20, 1947 by the Putera-AMJCA alliance and sent shivers down the spines of the British colonial rulers and the local elite.

When Umno decided to take over Utusan Melayu in 1961, there was a 100-day protest. When the farmers were starving in Baling in 1974, there were protests, which saw university students act in solidarity. Toll protests, environmental campaigns, reformasi, Hindraf, one Bersih after another, Women’s Day marches, Labour Day marches, Occupy Dataran – on many occasions, Malaysians have braved threats, tear gas, water cannons, police batons, court action and jail to speak up for what they thought was right.

I may not agree with the principle of the anti-Icerd rallies of 2019 but I was glad to see the right to peaceful assembly observed.

And earlier this week, our junior doctors walked off their jobs and into the history books. May they be treated with respect for daring to speak out. - Mkini

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MARTIN VENGADESAN is associate editor at Malaysiakini.