Watan publicity coordinator Liyana Yusof believes that politicians should not be fixated so much on the medium but on how they are engaging voters, especially youths.
“When you say something like using social media (to win elections) it sounds as if you’re saying I’m going to use a telephone and I’m going to win this election.
“But, you don’t know who is on the other end,” she was quoted as saying by the regional news broadcaster.
Her comments come in the wake of the battle lines being clearly drawn now for the next general election (GE14) with Pakatan Harapan officially declaring that PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad will lead the quest to defeat Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional.
Though no date has been given for the much-anticipated polls, much like in the last general election in 2013, social media will play a vital role in helping to disseminate news and propaganda alike, from both sides of the political divide.
However, whether or not part of the online strategy was to capture the minds of youths, who form the majority of those who are on social media, it begs the question if youths and voters in general are going to “buy” what is being fed to them.
“When was the last time you involved youths in your decision-making? When was the last time you listened to what their concerns were and made them feel like they could do something about it?.
“The last thing youths need is to be talked at and talked to. I also think young people notice that on the spot when someone’s talking to them with all the intention of something in it only for themselves,” Liyana told CNA.
Her comments reflected the results of a survey, titled “Public Opinion Survey: Youth Perception on the Economy, Leadership and Current Issues”, released last September, which showed that 70% of 604 youths polled were not interested in politics.
The survey jointly carried out by Watan and Merdeka Center, also showed that some 66% of youths were of the view that politicians were not trustworthy, 54% felt that politicians did not care about people’s problems, and 66% felt that politicians themselves were the cause of many problems.
Propaganda
Meanwhile, the Head of the School of Media, Languages and Cultures at Nottingham University Joanne Lim, said the use of social media does not mask the source nor the intention of any political message.
“Any content formally endorsed by political parties would undoubtedly be met with cynicism.
“Whether it comes directly from the opposition or from BN, it’s always seen as propaganda, you can’t run away from that fact,” Lim was quoted as saying by CNA.
She added that ultimately content is more powerful when it comes from the people, be it a genuine sharing from a genuinely concerned voter or if its sent by those who have come to be known as “cybertroopers”.
According to CNA, the impression among many online users is that cybertroopers are mostly anonymous, sometimes paid, employees of political parties who are tasked with countering negative perceptions online and creating content too.
However, Lim warned that whatever the method, politicians should not underestimate voters’ intelligence.
“The general election will revolve around Malaysians determining for themselves what is authentic and what is not, in more ways than one,” she said.