By Ramasamy Palanisamy
WITH the White Flag campaign potentially having the effect of dovetailing into a nation-wide movement, it reflects a societal response to arrest the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is a response that highlights the failure of the Government in power to take care of its own citizens during the time of terrible need.
The white flag phenomenon is akin to what Karl Polanyi said about pendulum swings: If society is pushed to the extreme, there is always a swing back to rectify the situation.
In other words, the white flag phenomenon is something that develops spontaneously to correct the imbalance brought by the pandemic and the resulting non-action by the Government.
It is a sad reminder to governments not to underestimate the powers of society in effecting a countervailing movement.
The white flag campaign started a few days ago is to enable the affected segments of society, families, and individuals to raise white flags to seek immediate assistance from members of the society to alleviate their immediate sufferings and agony.
The white flag situation would not have risen in the first place if the Government had discharged its responsibility sincerely and faithfully.
The campaign reflects two important but inter-related things: the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered extremely difficult for sections of society even to survive; and second, exposed the sheer hollowness of the Government in arresting the pandemic.
The situation has become so critical that people are asked to display white flags in front of their homes for immediate assistance.
While lies and half-truths are regurgitated about how the Government is doing its best to contain the terrible pandemic, the truth seems to be something else.
The Government, despite all the rhetoric, is not able to contain the pandemic that seems to have devastating effect on the lives of ordinary people.
The over-centralised nature of the procurement and distribution of the vaccines, the failure to take account of the differences among states and district in the prevention of the pandemic, the 4,000 threshold mark that reflects the dire situation in Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and not in other states are among others that are indicative of the state of paralysis the country is in when it comes to taming the ferocious pandemic.
Meanwhile, people, ordinary ones, are facing the brunt of the effects of the pandemic. The Government must as well throw in the towels in containing pandemic.
Jobs have been lost, businesses have come to a grind halt, the number of COVID-19 positive cases are going up, and most importantly the Government, apart from the standard measures, have no imaginative response to the everyday difficulties faced by Malaysians.
Sections of Malaysians have lost their income, finding it difficult to provide the bare essentials for the survival of their families and the number of suicide cases are going up.
The question is: What to do? If the Government has failed the people in coming to their assistance especially in times of need, then where can they go?
The white flag campaign gives some hope to Malaysians that not everything is lost and gone.
In fact, within a few days much to the chagrin of the Government and the unreliable politicians, the response has been encouraging.
Families and individuals in dire need of basic assistance are raising the white flags. The initiative might catch on a national scale. There is nothing to indicate that it might not.
The good news is that the white flag is eliciting favourable response of affected families and individuals.
Just imagine getting help from the Government agencies by filling numerous forms and long delays.
While some politicians like the Menteri Besar of Kedah Muhammed Sanusi Md Nor has urged people to stay away from the White Flag movement saying that it was a political propaganda against the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Government, there are politicians who sought to take advantage of the white flag campaign.
However, such attempts were quickly exposed by the netizens.
In fact, netizens have told to the PN politicians to stay away from the white flag campaign. Hoisting of white flag is for affected families and individuals to seek immediate relief.
On a broader scale, the white flag symbolises the present Government’s failure in combating the pandemic.
On another macro level, the white flag initiative is countervailing response to action or inaction by the Government. – July 2, 2021
Photo credit: The Star
Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
