KUALA LUMPUR – A social media user’s well-intentioned plea for help on behalf of Malaysian students stranded in Bangladesh took a turn for the worse when she became a subject of online abuse.
X user Shakila Zen told Scoop that she uploaded a post on Saturday, July 20, highlighting the plight of Malaysian students trying to escape violent protests after receiving a call from a friend saying he was stranded in Dhaka.
After seeking the assistance of the Malaysian high commission there, Shakila was told that the students were turned away because the diplomatic mission had no resources to provide shelter or evacuate them.
According to Shakila, the students said that they were informed by a high-ranking high commission official that they had no budget.
“I didn’t know how to help these students, so I posted about it on X so that the issue would get some attention.
“Some netizens wanted to help, but others got offended when I mentioned that the high commission told the students they didn’t have money.
“This was why some students decided to return to Malaysia by themselves. It’s not that the others don’t want to do that, but getting to the airport can be dangerous without help.
“However, people said I committed slander,” she said.
Shakila was accused of causing panic with some claiming that her call to action might have resulted in delays in rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, other netizens who Shakila described as “cybertroopers” called her names and hurled insults, even suggesting her husband should divorce her.
Unperturbed, Shakila kept in touch with her friend about the situation in Dhaka.
“Because of this, I started having migraines and could not sleep. But this isn’t my first rodeo as I have been called out before for my other activism work.”
She also noticed that the accounts which cyberbullied her mostly post about political content.
“I understand authorities have talked about tackling cyberbullying.”
Shakila is also a member of the environmental NGO Kumpulan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa) and a vocal advocate of women’s rights.
Local students in Bangladesh have been protesting since July 1 against quotas for government jobs that were reinstated by the courts. It was reported that violence started escalating on July 16.
The quotas, which reserve 56% of public jobs for specific groups, were previously abolished in 2018. The protests resulted in a nationwide curfew and military deployment in Dhaka and other areas.
There have been clashes between protesters and police, and the government has largely cut off internet, telephone, and SMS services. More than 180 people have died since the violence began.
There were 192 Malaysians in Bangladesh, including 124 students.
Yesterday, 123 Malaysian students landed at KLIA2 from Dhaka on a chartered flight organised by Wisma Putra and AirAsia, which was ordered by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday. – July 24, 2024