The Black/White Movement In Malaysia

As the pandemic continues to rage through Malaysia amid a political crisis, a grassroots movement has been using flags to stand together—white flags as a symbol of compassion; black flags for defiance.

- Emily Ding

Around the end of June, when Malaysians were grappling with the worst of the pandemic, an Instagram square with three white flags on a black background started making the rounds on social media. It was stark and simple and called for those in need of food and other aid to wave white flags—#BenderaPutih—from their homes so that help might reach them. There was no need to feel ashamed, it said.

It wasn’t entirely clear whom the clarion call originated from, or whether there would be ready lines of assistance to the white flag bearers, but it took off; some were moved to tears when help actually came. As they had throughout the pandemic, ordinary Malaysians rose to the occasion and filled the gaping void left by an insecure government that, critics say, had abdicated its duties to citizens in its handling of the pandemic in favour of retaining power. This was kita jaga kita, hashtagged.

Riding on the same wave of discontent, the #BenderaHitam movement started trending just days after. It urged people to fly black flags from their cars and their homes, and to share the pictures on social media. Significantly, it demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who had come unceremoniously to power after a political coup in February last year. At a time when the toll of COVID-19 has been peaking, with over 20,000 infections and 200 deaths daily, passions have spilt over from social media and onto the streets, in a build-up of protests led overwhelmingly by young people.