The past few months have shown us that not even a pandemic can slow down advocacy or activism. Globally, people from across the world continue to mobilize against injustice. In the United States, activists have taken their grievances to the streets to fight back against police brutality and racism; in Hong Kong, the pandemic has not dampened the anti-government protests, while Thailand had their largest pro-democracy rally in years. These physical protests have been met with criticism or push back from the authorities. Malaysia is no exception. 

On today’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Danaletchumi Langaswaran from the National Union Of Workers in Hospitals Support and Allied Services, and Juana Jaafar, a women’s human rights advocate working in the field of communications. They discuss protesting during a pandemic, the obstacles they face and what this means for advocacy and activism moving forward.