‘Anarchist’ youth at rally sign of discontent, say analysts

The May 1 Workers Day arrest of 29 youths, six of whom were minors, shows the discontent some politically aware young people have against the government and Putrajaya should try to understand their sentiments, an academic and analyst said. While some of the youths arrested, now released, said they believed their detention was meant to intimidate other youngsters, political analyst Ibrahim Suffian said the participation of youth in the rally to oppose the goods and services tax (GST) revealed the unhappiness felt by young people over the economy. Academic Dr Khoo Ying Hooi said the current political landscape had allowed movements of youth – some identifying themselves as members of the punk and anarchist subcultures – to thrive. Khoo, from Universiti Malaya’s Department of International and Strategic Studies, said political radicalism such as anarchism was not new in Malaysia, having emerged "when members of society cannot come to an agreement, and there is antagonism in interests". “The group in Malaysia is not big, but they are there and their decision to reveal themselves in the rally was a culmination of all their discontent towards authority,” said Khoo, whose PhD thesis was on the rise of organised protest movements. Hallmarks of these subcultures tend to include being anti-establishment and an emphasis on personal freedom. Khoo said it would be pointless for the government to try to curb such movements, much like how extremists could not be totally eradicated, and added that anarchism existed all over the world. Khoo added that the crackdown on youth would likely fuel other young voters into protesting, rather than keep them cowed. “Now people are asking, why the need to remand them for four nights? They have the right to protest. Why the selective persecution – the cross protesters from Taman Medan were not arrested.” The arrest last Friday began after the Workers Day rally ended peacefully, with the rounding up of the youths, in addition to activists and opposition politicians. The six minors were released the following day while 23 youths were remanded and only released on Tuesday. The youths allegedly set off smoke bombs and defaced signboards and public areas with spray-paint. They were investigated under the Penal Code and the Corrosive and Explosive Substances Act. Following the arrests and throughout their remand, a Facebook page called Pustaka Semesta posted updates on the detainees and issued calls for friends and supporters to gather in solidarity outside the Dang Wangi police headquarters where they were being held. The page described some of those arrested as members of the anarchist and punk scenes from Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and Malacca. Two of those arrested told The Malaysian Insider after being released, they felt their detention was meant to deter other youth from protesting and to curb the anarchist movement. "They want to intimidate and deter people's spirit from joining rallies. Some youth might be afraid," Maisara Amira, the only female detainee, said. She said the notion that anarchists were an organised group was inaccurate as anarchism was more of an ideology about self-rule rather than governance by a state. She said it was not an offence for someone to believe in such an ideology, adding that she herself was not involved in any organised group. Another youth said he felt that police had wanted to make an example out of them and questioned the anarchy label used against them. "This is a vague statement to make, they have to be more specific because since the European enlightenment, all these ideas are part of our modern society," he said, declining to give his full name, saying he feared for his safety. This youth said police told him that they would "remember his face" if anything happened in the future, while Maisara said the officer kept saying her remand could always be extended. Political analyst Ibrahim Suffian said Putrajaya had to take a longer-term view to win back these youths. "(Improve) their sense of livelihood and basic needs such as housing and better paying jobs. I don’t think there are many short cuts here.” He said the youth segment of the electorate was particularly affected by the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) and the slowdown of the economy, compared with other groups. “Perhaps the ‘Bumiputera dream’ of getting a good paying job, landed property and two cars is fading and moving out of reach of the younger generation. “Many are stuck in low-paying jobs, some forced to compete with foreign workers and prices of homes are beyond the reach of many,” said the director of independent pollster Merdeka Center. – May 7, 2015.