Malaysians took to social media to express their frustrations (and humor) over what happened in the wee hours of today, using the hashtags #KerajaanTumbang, which refers to a collapsed government in Malay, and #UMNO in over 80,000 tweets.
After members of Malaysia’s biggest political party UMNO decided to withdraw from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, exasperated Malaysians reacted to the country’s mishandling of the worsening COVID-19 situation, as well as the power struggles within the government, with a slew of jokes, wit, and a heavy dose of sarcasm.
Malaysia’s government is on the brink of collapse again. What will happen next?
“Woke up this morning and now #KerajaanTumbang trending. Sleeping is dangerous,” comic artist Ernest Ng Bro said online. He recently satirized Malaysia’s COVID-19 response in the book If Malaysia was anime: Covidball Z.
Woke up this morning and now #KerajaanTumbang trending.
Sleeping is dangerous.
— Ernest Ng Bro (@ernestngBRO) July 8, 2021
Content creator Daus Nation Center posted a GIF of a group of people scrambling about in the house, saying: “Tan Sri Muhyiddin and his squad at 1am after the news about UMNO.”
UMNO’s announcement that it was withdrawing support for Muhyiddin came hours after the latter appointed UMNO vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as Malaysia’s deputy prime minister. UMNO leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had pinned the party’s withdrawal on the government’s failure to meet its requirements.
“Lol..an unelected party dictating how an unelected DPM [should] conduct an unelected government..the joke writes itself #kerajaangagal #KerajaanBodoh #KerajaanTumbang,” another post said, relating to the fact that Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional, or PN, was dictating how Ismail should help to lead the government when nobody voted for any of them. Gagal means fail, while bodoh means stupid.
Reacting to a video of vehicles entering Muhyiddin’s home this morning following UMNO’s announcement, Twitter user @Frhnabla said: “First thing in the morning. Power first, Rakyat (citizens) never.”
“Remember people, UMNO didn’t pull out cause PN failed in curbing the current problems, it pulled out cause PN failed to satisfy them….it’s never about you….we need new faces, even a housecat will do better at this point #KerajaanTumbang,” user Cirit Crusader posted.
Some even took a jab at what history textbooks on Malaysia’s COVID-19 response would look like in the future. Attaching an image of two thick books, a Twitter user said: “future students ask: what happened in 2020-2021? buku sejarah (history book): (hinting at the two thick books)”
future student ask :what is happened in 2020-2021?
buku sejarah :
#KerajaanTumbang pic.twitter.com/M4qUwF72sx— 🇲🇾 🏴Siapakah Bapa kegagalan🏴 (@phhsktn) July 8, 2021
Others mocked the evolution of hashtags that had been used by Malaysians throwing shade at the government since COVID-19 began.
“Finally.. PN achievement Level 7 unlocked,” Twitter user Edy Noor Reduan said.
Finally.. PN achievement Level 7 unlocked;
Level 1: #KerajaanGagal (Apr)
Level 2: #KerajaanBodoh (Mei)
Level 3: #KerajaanBangsat (Jun)
Level 4: #KerajaanPembunuh(Jun)
Level 5: #KerajaanZalim (Jun)
Level 6: #KerajaanCirit (Jun)
Level 7: #KerajaanTumbang (July)This is it!!
— Edy Noor Reduan (@edyesdotcom) July 8, 2021
Why be severely disappointed and horrified at our country when you can make memes about our nations current situation, then only be severely disappointed and horrified at our country#KerajaanTumbang pic.twitter.com/jE81IM9bwf
— Chris Chow (@Thewhatchow) July 8, 2021
Malaysian watching goons in the government throwing each other under the bus #KerajaanTumbang pic.twitter.com/evSCq7OjAu
— Herman Rawi 🇲🇾🇵🇸 (@mhermanrawi) July 8, 2021
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