Opposition-held fuel protest rally flops as netizens mock low turnout

 

PROTEST is one of the most visible and powerful expressions of public voice in any society.

At its core, it gives ordinary people a way to be heard, especially when formal channels such as elections, institutions or the media fall short.

In this sense, protest is not a disruption of democracy, but an extension of it.

But sometimes, we watch a protest from far away and wonder if it is relevant or impactful when its objective is questionable.

Take for example a recent protest called the Himpunan Bantah Harga Minyak where the participants could be seen objecting to the rise in diesel price among other things.

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Netizen @amerhadiazmi started the ball, or the talk, rolling by stating in a post on X that the turnout was very low. Looking at the photos, we can see that this is true. 

But more importantly, why? Our fellow netizens may have the answer and it is hilarious.

“No doubt the skyrocketing price of fuel has deterred many from coming. If fuel were cheap, I reckon hundreds of thousands would be here to demand that the government reduce fuel prices,” said @amerhadiazmi sarcastically.

Then there was netizen @leethingthing suggesting they do it on zoom meeting instead to save up on fuel.

A pragmatic @abdullah12808 further pointed out the importance of economics as a compulsory subject in secondary schools.

Turning up the heat is @affordxyz, reminded Malaysians to be grateful as our neighbouring countries can’t buy fuel even if they are willing to pay a much higher price.

The best comment probably came from @yinjia517, and this was what he said: 

Johor Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) chief Faezuddin Puad has since come forth to address the protest.

According to him,  the situation is not unique to Malaysia, but is also affecting many other countries, including oil-producing nations that are adjusting and reviewing fuel prices.

“Furthermore, energy companies such as Saudi Aramco and Sonatrach Algeria have reportedly raised official LPG prices by between 38 and 80 per cent. ASEAN countries are facing similar challenges,” he said.

Faezuddin added that the Philippines has declared an energy emergency, while Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore have implemented their own fuel price adjustments.

In this regard, he advised the public not to waste time attending rallies that would not resolve the issue, but instead serve as a platform for the opposition to exploit public anger. — Focus Malaysia