For far too long, we have been subjected to condescending remarks and propaganda from the powers-that-be and the social conservatives (ie. fat cats who can’t see past their bloated bellies). Politicians are coming up with senseless ruling on what we should wear or what music we should listen to or even the images that we should be paying attention to. So much for self-expression and individuality; how is it 1Malaysia when it’s more like their Malaysia?

Street demonstrations, public displays of dissatisfaction, and cultural clashes of art and activism are being embraced by our generation as a way to create a new identity and a new Malaysia–one that goes beyond corny slogans and flag-waving gaga. It’s no longer 1969. The kids are smarter now. They have access to information, and a platform to voice opinions and exchange views with the rest of the world via the internet. But while most youths have an opinion, most are generally apolitical or politically apathetic.

Defiance comes in many forms but on ground level, nothing’s more fun than pissing in the pool of the elite by making statements with what you wear. JUICE salutes, stands side-by-side in arm-locks, and marches on with our brothers and sisters of the cause.

FAHMI REZA

Famed for his in-depth, controversial documentaries Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka and Revolusi ’48, Fahmi has a burning desire to retell the true history of Malaysia.

What was the turning point when you knew you had to get involved in activism?
Listening to ‘Big A Little A’ by Crass back in 1996.

If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
“I joined a peaceful revolution to overthrow BN in 2012 and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!”

What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
Fashion trends are the opium of the conformist.

What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
Setia pada pemimpin. Taat pada pemerintah. Tunduk pada pihak berkuasa.

What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
Pagoda t-shirts.

Why is it that Malaysians in general spend most of their life complaining about the situation of the country instead of actually getting involved and doing their part?
Because they haven’t watched Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka and learnt about the power of the hartal.

Malaysia boleh, if…
We abolish the Syariah Laws.

If you had a political party, what would it be called?
The “If Voting Changed Anything They’d Make It Illegal” Party.

What was the 1st tee you bought with your own money?
T-shirt pagoda cap Bukit Menara, saiz 36, harga 5 ringgit.

Who would be the ideal person to model your clothes if you had a fashion show?
Goh Tun-Ban.

POODIEN

This former-member of the independent charity collective known as Food Not Bombs can be seen frying pisang goreng at underground gigs for 50 sen a pop. A freelance visual artist who dabbles in graphic design, Poodien spends most of his days working for NGOs and listening to the Buzzcocks.

What was the turning point when you knew you had to get involved in activism?
The turning point is when I found punk rock. Punk rock saved my life. I was an outcast; I hated everything around me that was so pale and lifeless. I felt so hopeless and didn’t see how I could play a part or have any say. I started to get involved in the underground, DIY punk rock scene and when I got my hands on the 1st local punkzine, it blew my mind! I felt this blast of empowerment and energy to learn and change things. I got into anarchism, collectivism, human rights, philosophy, personal politics and social experiments, and the “anger” was channelled into concrete causes. I don’t really like to label myself as an activist. I just do what I do, which is responding, and contributing my time and energy towards what I believe in. Social settings are changeable and open to distortion by active action.

If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
It would say, “F*ck power!” That’s it–in your face, radical, strong enough to change the world. Or at least my world–by getting beaten up by rednecks who think that I’m against them for wearing Power brand shoes.

What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
Fashion, or the way people represent themselves, is an art form in itself. It’s up to the individual to choose and, more importantly, create their look. Be the creator! Fashion trends are lame in the way that they create a mass of followers. Their origins can be traced to 18th Century Europe’s Industrial Revolution, where mass production of clothing started and trends were created out of patterns that were being mass-produced. Somewhere along the line, the textile industry became the fashion industry. In our hyper-consumerist society, whatever that starts out as an indie trend usually ends up being monopolised by big businesses that in turn feed the demand with the blood and sweat of abused workers in 3rd world countries. I think this should be considered in your practice of choosing fashion trends.

So there’s no such thing as a good trend?
Trends will always be there. They grow when there’s a big change in economy and social nature. I’m always pro any good trend like indie DIY, eco-friendly, recycled and culturally mashed up clothing and streetwear.

What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
I dislike how Malaysian society is divided along racial lineage, language and religion. Why are we too scared to question anything and break into action to counter this crappy stuff? We rather take this plurality as a reason to be divided and not understand a thing than see this as an advantage for us to enrich ourselves culturally.

What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
I would like to see people on the street naked with no clothes. That would strip off anyone’s prejudices, won’t it? And in a literal way! But seriously, people need to be more sensible in what they wear.

If you had to design a national uniform to be worn by all citizens of Malaysia, what would it look like?
Sh!t! This is the last thing that I would ever do. I’m quite allergic to words like “national”, “uniform”, “citizen” and “Malaysia”. Only if a gun was pointed at me would I do it. At the same time, I’d still look for ways to sneak in my individuality into the design. Hopefully something that would allow the citizens to redesign it according to their own tastes.

Why is it that Malaysians in general spend most of their life complaining about the situation of the country instead of actually getting involved and doing their part?
Because we are the nice, moderate, hormat-menghormati, bertimbang rasa Malaysians! Too comfortable (or engineered to feel so) and not daring to risk or lose anything.

Malaysia boleh, if…
1. Everybody really does something to break out of their comfort zone, challenge themselves more and cut away from the strings that have entangled them all these years!! Too ambitious, eh?
2. The people start to question themselves and everything else…and also learn to laugh at themselves.
3. We murder the government–I’m talking in theory here, c’mon, take it easy brother. Democracy reduces government power to nil when power is distributed and practiced equally by the citizen. So let’s participate.

If you had a political party, what would it be called?
The Party Party.

Who would be the ideal person to model your clothes if you had a fashion show?
My amazing friends! And people who honestly like my clothes!

RAT

Reclusive graffiti artist-turned-activist tee maker and a practitioner of “subvertising” (aka subversive advertising), Rat loves culture jamming and rearranging battle cries of corporations into witty call-for-action messages against them. Touché to all in advertising!

If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better-looking place.”

What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
I wish I was still printing t-shirts.

What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
A lot of people are not taking initiative because no one told them to be like that.

What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
Something from the steampunk era.

If you had to design a national uniform to be worn by all citizens of Malaysia, what would it look like?
A huge, stupid square box saying 1Malaysia.

SHEIKO RETO

Yet another graffiti artist who combines art and activism, Sheiko is known for her modern pop art pieces that touch on sexuality, free will and environmental conservation, amongst other things.

If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
“Value life”, because people here still treat each other and animals like sh!t, thus creating the whole sh!tty ecosystem for themselves. Or maybe something cliché like “Create more, consume less”, “Plant more trees”, “Ride a bike” or “Make cars history”.

What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
Trends are like a wheel–they come and go, round and round–and it’s human nature to want to be part of the group they feel they belong to where they can express themselves with people on the same frequency. It’s normal.

What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
People still tapau food and bring back Styrofoam and plastic bags. Every time I see that, I feel like slapping them because they’ve got no environmental awareness. I bet if religion said it’s a big sin to touch a plastic bag, then this country could even beat Japan in terms of cleanliness.

What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
Solar panel hats/shirts/dresses that can recharge batteries for cars, making fossil fuel history.

If you had to design a national uniform to be worn by all citizens of Malaysia, what would it look like?
An apron–just to tell them they don’t have to take themselves seriously.

HAKIM

You can’t miss him with his ZZ Top/Asian hippie look. Speaking to the man is like talking to someone from another planet–a true, free spirit who will never be owned. A few years back, he directed Romantik ISA, a tell-all documentary about the ISA that got him more than a few fan calls from the government.

What was the turning point when you knew you had to get involved in activism?
I didn’t want to see this nation being fooled by this kind of government!

If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
“This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never wear t-shirts anyway.”

What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
These people watch too much “999” series on TV3 while being a loyal subscriber to Malay tabloids such as URTV and Mangga…

What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
Malaysians are too serious that they think the name Allah is exclusive for only one religion.

What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
Man wearing Speedos while having teh tarik on a Sunday evening.

If you had to design a national uniform to be worn by all citizens of Malaysia, what would it look like?
Certainly no baju melayu with the tall songkok, which resembles much of the Ku Klux Klan.

What was the 1st tee you bought with your own money?
A “Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Piper” t-shirt.

Who would be the ideal person to model your clothes if you had a fashion show?
The avant-garde poet Salleh Ben Joned (aka the very 1st Angkasawan Negara) with a gun around his belt.

What’s the most ridiculous fashion trend you’ve witnessed? And which politician does it remind you of?
Most politicians are oversized, obese or bloated, so anything they wear (even some high-end branded clothes) just makes me want to puke.