Getting Crapped On

Move aside #SiBodohKauDengarSini. There’s a new top trending hashtag in town, and it’s a doozy. Take a bow #KerajaanGagal.

At the time of writing this, the hashtag — which, for non-Malay speakers, means #GovernmentFail or #FailedGovernment in Malay — has notched over 151,000 tweets and climbing.

But what sparked this eloquent catchphrase that’s burning up Twitterjaya? 

Well, take your pick. We’re not sure which tweet started it all, but the hashtag has pretty much taken a life of its own. Much like the Si Bodoh tag, #KerajaanGagal has become the umbrella under which many, and we do mean many, seemingly long-suffering Malaysians are venting their frustrations after more than a year under the shadow of the pandemic and the Perikatan Nasional’s handling of it.

It’s being applied to everything, from yet another spike in Covid-19 cases and the real threat of a fourth Covid tsunami hitting us, the alleged snail’s pace of our vaccination roll-out, rising prices, as well as double standards in enforcement of SOPs and dishing out of fines, to the ongoing emergency order and continued suspension of Parliament.

Didn’t get Fahmi’s art and our commentary on the #SiBodohKauDengarSini tag that inspired us all. Well, go on and click here!

The tweets really took off after it was announced that we’d be getting another brand-spankin’ new deputy minister. Great, except this appointment came out of the blue and juuuust after our glorious leader PM Muhyiddin Yassin w̶h̶i̶n̶e̶d̶ claimed that the country’s coffers were being emptied due to the gomen having to spend it all on us, what with all them shiny stimulus packages and all.

(FYI, to date, the gomen’s announced six stimulus packages, valued collectively at RM340 billion).

So, asked our netizens, if we have no more moolah, what’s the rush in hiring a new deputy minister of tourism to add to the (some would say bloated) 70-member cabinet? After all, the post was left vacant for over 6 months, and the country is still standing! 

It didn’t help that just last week, 2 of Moo’s ministers told fresh grads to be grateful they have jobs, even if they are earning below minimum wage. One of these geniuses is our HR minister, who, by the way, is the country’s top-earning minister. 

You can bet your last sen that every cabinet member in good ol’ Malaysia earns way more than minimum wage. So, are you up for a more significant pay cut this time, Boss Muhyiddin?

Look, Moodin. Bro. Whether or not you agree with the tweets, we dunno. But the people are tired, struggling and becoming more disillusioned as the health crisis drags on, the economy goes belly up, and politicos are more concerned with politicking (allegedly! allegedly!).

Yours may not be gomen we voted for, but it’s the one we got, at least maybe until GE15. So what are you gonna do, mister prime minister? Tell us to eat cake?