Lessons from Nepal & Indonesia

Burnt cars outside the Supreme Court in Kathmandu during a curfew imposed to restore law and order in the Nepali capital. — AFP

IN recent weeks, we have seen violent mass protests erupt in a number of places, most notably Nepal and Indonesia, and most recently in France as well.

The images and the videos have been quite scary. But once public anger has reached that point, we cannot be surprised when things turn out the way they did.

I do not believe in being “grateful to politicians” for peace, but I do believe in being grateful for the relative peace Malaysians enjoy, in comparison with some other countries.

The key however, is not to take this peace for granted.

It is vital that we learn from what is happening in these countries, and remain constantly vigilant to ensure that things do not reach that stage here.

This is true most of all for the powers-that-be.

In both Nepal and Indonesia, public anger was sparked by decisions made by governments.

When good governments make good decisions, the people are happy; when bad governments make bad decisions, the people get angry. And when people get angry enough, they take to the streets.

Thus, a government that aspires to be good should always maintain a watchful lookout, see what mistakes others have made, and work very hard to avoid them.

Let’s start by looking at what sparked the protests in Nepal.

The most proximate cause was the government’s decision to ban social media. This happened to follow a new trend, where young Nepalis would criticise “Nepo Kids” – children of Nepali politicians who seemed to be living lavish lifestyles way, way above what average Nepalis would ever be able to dream of affording, and splashing it all over social media.

It is easy to imagine the resentment this would create. Well, easy for everyone except the Nepo Kids and their parents apparently, ensconced as they were in their “kayangan”.

When the government took the drastic step of banning all these social media platforms outright, in what must have been perceived by some at least to be a move to clamp down on criticisms against Nepo Kids and their families, Nepalis were quick to retaliate and protest.

Just like in Indonesia days or weeks before, what was startling was the sheer volume of that anger in Nepal, and the violence with which it manifested.

Just like in Indonesia, government buildings were burned and looted, and the homes of politicians were targeted specifically.

This level of anger can only mean that this wasn’t about social media alone – just like how the Bersih protests in Malaysia were ultimately not just about electoral reform but about dissatisfaction with the government as a whole.

In Nepal, growing frustration with income inequality and what was perceived as a corrupt government finally burst at the seams. And the expression of that anger was unmistakeably vivid.

In Indonesia, around Aug 19, President Prabowo Subianto announced a new housing allowance for Indonesian members of Parliament, totalling about US$3,000 (RM12,615) a month – famously calculated as 10 times the minimum wage for Indonesians living in Jakarta.

Reactions were swift and ferocious as protesters took angrily to the streets, just like in Nepal.

One interesting facet that I like to reflect on: There are 580 members of Indonesia’s lower house in Parliament, and 152 members of the upper house.

That’s 762 people, in a country of 283 million people. It’s a minuscule proportion.

The amount of money involved is not small, but in the grand scheme of Indonesia, it’s barely a drop of water in the ocean.

This shows that again, it wasn’t about the money or the numbers. It was about the principle.

The new housing allowance embodied the very essence of what people perceived the government had come to be – just fat cats who were given the reins of the country, and who used that only to make themselves even fatter, while the people continue to suffer in increasingly excruciating poverty.

When motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan was run over by a police vehicle and died – the protests spread nationwide across the archipelago.

Just like in Nepal, the primary theme is income inequality.

Income inequality is nothing new in the world. One could even argue that incomes have never been anywhere close to equal.

But what is likely worth noting, especially as we see what is happening in countries like Nepal, Indonesia and even France, is: it is getting worse. Much, much worse.

In my view, the raison d’etre of capitalist machinery is essentially to extract as much value as humanly possible from those at the bottom of the food chain – often utilising politicians as well paid puppets to achieve that goal. And that machine seems to be getting more and more efficient with time.

What we are seeing is the backlash of this process.

In countries like the United States, the right has figured out that it’s easy to persuade the masses that the reason for their suffering and poverty is migrants and transgender people or some such – thus protecting the real capitalist perpetrators from attack.

Levels of inequality there may not have reached the same levels as Nepal and Indonesia, but they might not be far off either.

It feels like the governments of Nepal and Indonesia found out the hard way just how potent the powder keg of simmering discontent can be. In Nepal, the government completely collapsed, and government leaders fled the country in fear.

Governments who want to avoid similar fates arguably have one priority, and one priority alone: the economic welfare of their people.

Above all else, a government must ensure that its citizens have access to jobs, dignified incomes, healthcare, education, and so on.

It is tempting for politicians to take care only of their fellow elites. In Malaysia, a prime minister is made or broken by Members of Parliament, who can remove him or her at any time.

In theory, if you just “take care” of that small group of people, you can retain your position, for five years at least.

Thus, one might think about being like Prabowo and prioritise only the economic welfare of those political elites in the closest circles.

This would be a grave mistake.

Too often, governments underestimate the effects of mistreating the poor.

The recent controversy at Kampung Sungai Baru, Kuala Lumpur, may be an example of an opportunity to handle such matters more delicately.

I remember facing similar evictions alongside activists in my early 20s, at nearby Kampung Berembang in Ampang, and how heart wrenching it was.

Hopefully, Malaysia will learn from what is happening elsewhere in the world, and always remember the core values of integrity, compassion, and transparency.

Nathaniel Tan is a strategic

communications consultant who would like to wish everyone Selamat Hari Malaysia! He can be reached at [e-mail]. The views expressed here are solely his own.