White- Black and Red Flag Movement

White- Black and Red Flag Movement

Subject: International Relations

Context: Malaysia, some residents of low-income families have started waving white flags as part of the so-called “White Flag Campaign”, or the #benderaputi (white flag) movement.

Concept:

White Flag

• They are doing this to convey distress about the financial crunch they have had to deal with amid the lockdowns due to Covid-19.
• Families that are facing hunger or need any other kind of assistance are encouraged to wave a white flag or put a piece of white cloth outside their homes to signal that they need help.
• The idea is that by spotting the white flag, neighbours and good samaritans can reach them.
• On the Sambal SOS app, which was initially called the BenderaPutih app, people can see the map of Malaysia where active food banks are marked. This is to help people easily track down food banks.

Black flag

• Alongside the white flag movement, there is the black flag movement as well, in order to express dissatisfaction with the Malaysian government.
• the public to raise black flags as a sign of protest against the government’s management of the pandemic. The group demanded that Yassin resign and that the Parliament convene to lift the state of emergency.

Red Flag

• Another movement called the red flag campaign or #benderamerah, that works in the same way as the white flag movement, but the difference is that the former is targetted at Malaysian citizens only and was started by the Malaysian Animal Association as many families were abandoning pets they couldn’t afford to feed.