#BenderaPutih is a depressing display of government incompetence

 

Imagine losing your source of income and having your basic needs taken away from you in the blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, for many Malaysians, this is their reality.

I watch as the pleas get increasingly desperate, and people’s lives become increasingly perilous. The government’s recent announcement - in which they inform us that the MCO will be extended for the umpteenth time - might have been intended as a safety measure; instead, it is something akin to a death sentence for most of us.

First, there was #KitaJagaKita. Then, after the government hijacked this movement (at least according to Malaysian Twitter), came #RakyatJagaRakyat.

Now, amidst the depressing reality that’s unfolding right before our very eyes, is yet another variation of those movements - the #BenderaPutih campaign.

The white flag is commonly associated with the act of surrender. It is heartbreaking to note that, in this case, the white flag is raised by Malaysians, both literally and figuratively, to signify that they are struggling to survive and are practically surrendering themselves to death because they can no longer afford to live.

According to news reports (and social media posts that I encountered), this campaign encourages those who are facing severe hardship to fly a white flag or cloth outside their homes. This in turn would spur those around them (as well as netizens who happen to come across posts that feature them, and other parties, such as NGOs) to donate their money, time and energy (among other things) towards aiding the very people in need.

An initiative given birth by government incompetence

This initiative shouldn’t have had to exist, but thanks to our ever-failing government, it does. Government incompetence gave birth to our rakyat’s near-constant affliction, and the third iteration of a movement created to remedy this shows us once again that our government continues to abandon us in our time of need.

What more can we do, other than share social media posts related to this campaign on our own pages, and donate? Surely there’s more that we can do to end this misery?

Normally, I would offer some solutions, but even I am hard-pressed in attempting to figure out a way to somehow convince our government to pay attention and listen to us. After all, I don’t earn nearly enough to support myself and my family, let alone have the power and influence necessary to implement long-lasting changes in this country.

Nevertheless, I’ll try.

I don’t think anyone from the government is reading this, but in the hope that they or someone closely affiliated to them are, I implore the government to do one thing - listen to us.

There is always a reason why people may choose to complain. In fact, at this point, we’ve gone past the point of complaining, and we’ve reached the worst stage (so far) - surrendering.

People aren’t just dying from Covid-19. They’re also dying because of the government and its failure to address the issue of this virus and its numerous devastating consequences on the rakyat.

Some are literally committing suicide because they were forced to surrender. These deaths are just some of the many casualties that were and are preventable. Many are raising the white flag by killing themselves, and yet, the government just sits there, watching.

So, please, I beseech you, listen to us. Instead of spending your unearned taxpayers’ money on yourselves, spend it on improving the technology that is necessary to facilitate more vaccinations for the people.

Spend it on programmes that help alleviate your rakyat’s suffering. Make food easily accessible to the poor and underserved at no cost, give jobs to those who have lost them, support the families that have lost their breadwinners due to the virus.

Increase the number of people getting vaccinated daily and stop imposing MCOs that are supposed to curb infections but don’t actually work as intended because of the unnecessary loosening of rules during said MCOs.

I fear my words, much like many others’ countless warnings, are also falling on deaf ears.

For now, I suggest donating to various NGOs that have pledged to help those who have raised the #BenderaPutih, as long as one has done enough research on the validity of these organisations and can be assured that they will allocate all funds raised to those in need, as promised. - Mkini

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KHADEEJAH ABDUL HALIM is a Gen Z youth interested in social media and how it amplifies various pressing issues faced by society. She is a UCL graduate with a BA in English and an aspiring writer.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.