Be keyboard warriors for Gaza, not local political drama
Rafizi Ramli
PUTRAJAYA – Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is calling on Malaysians to mobilise their online presence once again as 'keyboard warriors' to pressure Israel into halting the atrocities that have led to a widespread famine crisis in Gaza.
Rafizi said Malaysians have previously drawn international attention for collectively targeting Israel's official social media accounts, earning them the nickname "tentera bawang" (onion army).
'The time has come for us to once again be keyboard warriors en masse, to pressure Israel to end the atrocities that are causing massive starvation in Gaza,' he said in a social media post on Tuesday.
Rafizi was commenting on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to the Zionist regime's blockade on food supplies for Palestinians.
However, he also expressed disappointment that while the world is focusing on the suffering in Gaza, many Malaysian netizens remain preoccupied with domestic political debates such as 'Turun Anwar' and 'Kekal Anwar'.
At the same time, he raised concern over the growing culture of cyberbullying, especially among youth, stemming from political disputes.
'Among netizens, quarrels that often lead to insults and cyberbullying are typically related to politics,' he said.
Rafizi also cited a report by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), which ranks Malaysia second in Asia after China, and fifth globally, for cyberbullying incidents among teenagers.
The former Minister of Economy highlighted that Unicef's findings show 47 per cent of parents are aware of at least one child or teen in their community who has been a victim of cyberbullying, while one in four believe their own child has experienced it.
Rafizi stressed that this toxic behaviour often stems from adults who frequently leave rude or offensive comments online.
'As parents, we are all responsible, because children follow our example.
'When we make comments on social media that make us feel powerful but are actually a form of cyberbullying, we are normalising this culture in society,' he said.
As a solution, he proposed redirecting this aggressive online behaviour toward more meaningful causes, especially humanitarian issues like the conflict in Gaza.
'For the month of August, let's try to channel our ego and cyberbullying tendencies into something else.
'If you really can't resist making a fiery post, let it be for good — for instance, to demand that Israel stop these atrocities,' he said.
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