Buletin MPN Edisi Khas PRU 14

Viewpoint
situation was seen during GE13,
where the Government parties
were seen to actively engage on
digital interactions and used the
Internet medium as an ‘election
tool’ and it was a success. Despite
having lost five states to the
Opposition, the Government
sustained as the ruling party,
and the extent of both parties’
engagement on the Internet was
seen equal and fairly driven. Next,
as the Internet realm through
social media sites are seen to be
‘populating’ a massive percentage
of Malaysian-registered voters,
the internet is the best place to
fish for votes. Self-promotions by
the election candidates can also
be circulated online and widely
shared among internet users.
Any memorandums by the parties
can also be shared and circulated
to reach all possible voters;
compared to when it was only
possible to do so at election talks
or campaigns.
It has to be noted that election
talks still have high impacts and
influence as one of the active
tools under election campaigns.
Senior citizens who may not be on
the Internet but still pose voting
powers would prefer to attend
such talks as they as found to
be more lively, direct and more
contented to the public. However,
as there are more possible voters
present on the Internet; hence
any candidates should not pass
on the opportunity to promote
themselves, and any parties
should not waste the opportunity
to spread their promises to
the citizens thorough their
memorandums on the Internet;
which is the best place for them to
spread like viruses.
Furthermore, the term ‘Digital
Voters’ fall perfectly in this
sense because the Internet and
the social media networking
sites act as the “engines” of the
participating parties in GE14.
The fuels needed in this capacity
extend to include the portfolios
of the candidates, the promised
memorandums, election news,
information on election talks or
some might even use the Internet
to criticize on other parties’
candidates or memorandums.
You know what they say; all is
fine in Love and War. And for
them, winning seats in GE14 is
like winning fight they have been
waiting for five years.
However, despite these inputs and
responses; the Internet tends to
be neutral in state. The internet
only provides for the platform
for any issues on politics on the
election to be widely discussed,
and the online-interaction features
provided such as users can
directly comment, respond or
reply to any posts make it possible
for them to actively discuss
important and concerning matters
on the Internet, and having said
as being ‘neutral’, the Internet
also allows for counter defences
and counter attacks for any whom,
anywhere. It is apparent that
these mixed reactions can be seen
on the Internet.
This online engagement is what
constitutes an online user to being
a “Digital Voter”, which is one who
has a voting power and chooses
to exercise the power based on
evaluations he or she will or has
made upon the mixed reactions
found and circulated on the
Internet. And most importantly,
one is a “Digital Voter’ when those
evaluations contribute to the
choices they make on whom to
vote in the upcoming GE14.
The phenomenon is definitely not
new to the international election
scenes. For example, the United
States Presidential Election once
hailed an internet status in 2004
due to the high usage of emails
during the election period. Political
leaders had downloaded their
constitution voters’ data and
contacted their target voters
via email, while in 2008 the
Presidential Election saw the
trend of ‘social media’ following
high Twitter and Facebook usage
among Obama’s volunteers. He
was known as the President in
the world that utilized new media
platforms to reach the voters and
targeted new voters in the 2008
election.
Malaysia will have the impact
of Facebook Election following
the use of this platform that is
highest among our population
composition. As a social media
scholar, I have carried out some
tracking on the internet election
trends among Asian and Western
countries since 2008 until now. It is
clear that some important factors
have been taken into account to
identify whether the internet is
one of the important factors that
According to The
Statistic Portal;
the number of
active internet
users in Malaysia
has grown to
21.93 million in
2018 and the
numbers are
expected to grow
as high as 23.4
million users by
the year 2022.
influence election results. Among
the key elements being considered
is the effectiveness of technology
development and the ‘formation
of technological society’ in a
country, the amount involved in
online political participation, the
number of hours browsing the
Internet, Internet usage skills,
the momentum to upload a post),
information skills, type of websites,
the trend that results in political
communication, and the degree
of internet factor involved in
nation’s political argument. Today,
the Internet is a decisive factor
in Malaysian elections as political
issues and political campaigns are
now more dependent on online and
electronic media. The Internet in
1998 had only little influence on the
political scene in Malaysia. We just
got introduced to the world-withoutboundaries
back then and according
to The Statistic Portal; the number
of active internet users in Malaysia
has grown to 21.93 million in 2018
and the numbers are expected to
grow as high as 23.4 million users
by the year 2022.
Hence, it is not surprising if we
see Malaysia following the trends
by major leading countries and the
success that the world had seen to
which Barack Obama sustained his
presidency for two terms; it is to
be highly expected that Malaysia
has gone digital and would be
following in the footsteps; all with
similar aim and goals; that is to
reach the maximum reach if not
obtaining the same success as
Obama had.
The focus of Malaysia’s previous
elections were mostly based on
physical and actual approaches
to reach the voters; and we are
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Majlis Profesor Negara