Malaysians turn to white flags to seek help as lockdown torments
Halijah Naemat puts away a white flag after she received help from neighbours at her home during an enhanced lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia on Tuesday.
During a prolonged lockdown in Malaysia,the #benderaputih (white flag) campaign has gained momentum on social media. It seeks toencourage people to help others in distress.
A 73-year-old Malaysian woman Hadijah Neamat, recently hung a scrap of white cloth outside her window to get help as she wasstruggling to cope during the coronavirus-inducedlockdown.
Seeing the flag,a neighbour came by to offer her food and other itemsshortly.
Hadijah, who lives in a densely populated district of Petaling Jaya in Selangor state near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, said,she was surprised by the act of generosity on her doorstep.
Hadijah's husband, Mohd Rusni Kahman, 59, has a disability and has not been able to work since losing his job last year.
Malaysia has reported more than 785,000 cases of COVID-19, the third-highest tally in Southeast Asia, and has been in lockdown since June 1.
The pandemic has put a particular strain on low-income families, with reports of many forced to ration food.
In response to the white flag campaign, neighbours, businesses, politicians and even celebrities have stepped in to donate.
"It takes a lot of courage (to display the white flag)... Because it's actually telling everyone that you... can't manage," lawmaker Maria Chin Abdullah told Reuters.
"But I think I take it positively - it's something that this country actually needs because we can't cover everybody. So it's good that... you indicate that you need help and we'll come to you," she said.
(With inputs from agencies)