LETTER
TO THE EDITOR
PROTECT
THE PRIVACY OF AID RECIPIENTS
The
White Flag Campaign currently trending on social media to encourage people who
are adversely affected by the Movement Control Order and corresponding
restrictions on economic activities to seek help should be seen not as a cause
of pride, but an indictment of the government of the day for its failure to
provide assistance and support to the most vulnerable members of our community.
While
we commend the many individuals and businesses that have stepped forward to
provide food aid and monetary relief to the less fortunate, we must remember
that it is our political leaders’ preoccupation with wresting power from one
another, failure to plan ahead and to manage the Covid-19 outbreak, lack of
empathy, and culture of impunity that got us to the point in which 468 suicides
have already taken place in Malaysia from the short period between January and
May 2021. Malaysians who were optimistic, compliant, and cooperative at the
start of the pandemic in March 2020 have since found themselves out of savings,
lacking a safety net, and out of options.
For
this reason, the White Flag Campaign cannot be a reason for cheer and pride. Being
in the position to alleviate the suffering of others should not be an opportunity
for individuals, NGOs, businesses, or elected representatives to brag about
their generosity. In an unequal and unjust society, mitigating inequality and
injustice is the right thing to do, but is not an alternative for good governance.
Just because some citizens are willing to extend help to other less fortunate
citizens does not give political leaders the license to go traipsing on maskless
durian parties and breach Covid-19 SOPs. We need to continue to hold our
political leaders to account, even while we are reaching out to those who have
fallen through the cracks.
It
is in the interest of holding others and oneself to account that I strongly
urge donors, elected representatives, and the media not to identify or post
photographs of the aid recipients. Those who put up white flags outside their
homes are already humiliated enough that they have to concede defeat and
acknowledge that they are unable to carry on without the kindness of strangers.
There is no need to exacerbate their shame and sense of helplessness and
powerlessness further by identifying them by name and posting photographs of them
and their homes. There is no pride to be derived from doing the most basic and human
of things for someone in greater need than oneself. Being in a position of
privilege should make us humbler and reflect more on how unequal our society
is.
It
is sufficient to identify the aid recipients as a “single mum” or “unemployed
father of four” or “struggling hawker” to give their plight a human face. There
is no need to name them and post photographs of them and strip them further of
their dignity. Even when the aid recipient gives express consent to having
their photos taken and shared publicly, this consent is often not given freely
but under economic duress. A desperate parent who truly needs the food basket
for his or her children will swallow his or her pride and agree to be photographed,
but this will only add to the imbalance of power and their sense of
vulnerability.
Further,
we sometimes do not realise the full consequences of our actions. A homeless
contract worker may face repercussions or even termination at work when an
employer realises that the said worker is homeless. There is still a lot of
stigma attached to homelessness and some employers see it as an indication that
the employee could flee after committing misconduct and will not be easily
traced or tracked down, instead of merely an indication that rent and home
ownership is beyond the reach of many people working in the city. An aid recipient
who is working at a low-paying job may face repercussions from his employer who
views the white flag as an allegation that the employer is not paying its
workers enough or as an attempt to embarrass the employer. There are just so
many ways in which the action of flying the white flag or asking for help could
be misinterpreted or judged. Even the Kedah MB and several other politicians
have interpreted the white flag as an allegation that they have failed their
constituents, and some of those who flew the white flag have reported facing harassment
and intimidation as a result. Identifying these individuals by name and posting
their photographs can only make things worse for them.
It
is understood that many donors claim that they require photographs for
accountability reasons when the funds come from different sources. Sometimes, well-meaning
individuals pool together their money and assign a few members of the group to
purchase and deliver the food aid and money. In such a situation, there are
other ways of proving that the aid has reached the recipient. Those responsible
for delivery should take photos of the record of funds collected, the items purchased,
and the receipts. Then they can take photos of the volunteer(s) handing the
food over, and the hands of the individuals who received the aid. If photos are
taken of the recipient and his/her home, the considerate and responsible thing
to do would be to blur out the recipient’s face, home address plaque, vehicle
registration number, and anything else that can be used to identify the recipient
(e.g. work uniform, t-shirt logo, children’s school uniforms) before posting or
sharing the photos. The same rules apply to elected representatives delivering aid
to their constituents – those who support you will believe that you provided
aid even in the absence of corroborating evidence, and those who don’t support
you will claim the pictures are doctored or staged, or that the recipient is
undeserving even if you post the recipient’s entire family history and photo album
online. So why subject the recipient to even more humiliation and harassment?
The
trouble with givers is that we like to imagine that our actions will inspire
others to do the same. What we forget is that we can inspire and influence others
without sharing photos and information that make the vulnerable even more
vulnerable. Nobody likes to be identified as a charity case or an object of
pity. If we want to uplift and help others, we need to do so in a way that respects,
protects, and empowers them. If we want to create a spirit of solidarity and
unity in society, we need to extend support and help to those in need without
making them feel even more lacking in power, agency, and autonomy.
WONG
EE LYNN
PETALING
JAYA, SELANGOR
