Malaysia Premier Faces Twitter Backlash Over Flood Response

‘Do Not Donate to Government’ Hashtag is trending on Twitter
The floods have left dozens dead, displaced more than 61,000

Volunteers deliver food to residents marooned by floodwaters in the Taman Sri Muda township of Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, on Dec. 20.Photographer: Samsul Said/Bloomberg

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By Anisah Shukry

December 24, 2021 at 8:35 AM UTC

Updated on

December 24, 2021 at 8:53 AM UTC

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Malaysians took to social media to protest Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s handling of severe floods that has left dozens dead and displaced more than 61,000 people with the “Do Not Donate To Government” hashtag trending on Twitter.

The phrase refers to a public fundraiser that Ismail’s government launched earlier in the week to help the victims of the floods that worsened last weekend and continue to inundate parts of peninsular Malaysia. The gesture didn’t go down well on Twitter, which has become a go-to platform for citizens to coordinate rescue and aid efforts following the government’s slow response.