Poskod Malaysia

THE 2010/2011 INSPIRED/EXPIRED AWARDS
Category: Most Overhyped Public Protest Movement

Outrage over the RM5 billion, 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project splashed out like a flash flood in October; much of it pooled online, in the 1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower Facebook page. Membership milestones made headlines; pundits soon began styling it as an important weathervane of Malaysian public opinion.

But where is the “No Mega Tower” community now?

Yesterday, a poster on the group’s Wall asked: “aiit…. mana post kawan kawan nih….?… takkan semua dah hilang….” It was a query directed at the mysterious disappearance of the page’s public comments — but it also may express the community’s dip in activity as a whole. A few months ago, postings on the front page had an every-other-minute frequency. Now, you only see a handful of posts every day.

1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower never had any members, per say. It had “Likes”, a single-click endorsement that (since December) has stalled around the 280,000 mark — a short-fall from their one-million goal.

The page’s administrators have laudable goals for their army of supporters. Announcements and links posted by the admin still get lots of comments, but on-the-ground activities that the group tries to organise receive lukewarm reception. Its one-month anniversary “cake party” got several dozen attendees; the “Hormati Suara Rakyat Selangor” rally, which the page heavily endorsed, only saw 300 people turn up.

No doubt that the “No Mega Tower” group got more Malaysians thinking about issues of governance and the squandering of public funds. But, like most Internet social phenoms, people have gotten bored and moved on. It isn’t just an Internet thing — I’d say its a “Malaysians mudah lupa” thing.

“Flash flood” seems like a suitable metaphor: it happens; you complain when you’re stuck in the resulting traffic jam; you get home, the floodwaters recede, and you forget about the whole thing. KL’s drainage system never gets its much-needed comprehensive overhaul. Despite our brouhaha, PNB and the Government will almost certainly go ahead with the Mega Tower.

I’m really sorry to say this, but it looks like the “No Mega Tower” thing has EXPIRED. The challenge for social movements like Bersih 2.0 is still how to sustain meaningful and committed activism.

SIGH.

(Zedeck Siew)