During the seventh day of campaigning for the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections, candidates are utilizing traditional methods of reaching out to voters in small groups while also embracing social media platforms to convey their messages. Pulai parliamentary seat candidate Suhaizan Kaiat from Pakatan Harapan has been using his Facebook page ‘Suhaizan Kayat’ and TikTok account @suhaizan_kayat, which have 48,000 and 6,543 followers respectively, to promote his campaign programs. His opponent, Zulkifli Jaafar of Perikatan Nasional, who has 5,300 Facebook followers and 1,461 TikTok followers, is also using these platforms to communicate with voters.
According to Dr A. Aziz Azizam, a senior lecturer in liberal communication at Universiti Teknologi Mara, social media platforms have become essential tools for political parties as they are cost-effective and efficient in reaching targeted groups. However, he emphasizes that the content of the messages on these platforms is crucial and must be convincing to attract voters. While the main user group on social media is typically aged 18 to 40, there is no evidence suggesting that older individuals aged 41 and above are not influenced by social media information.
Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub, a political analyst, believes that social media platforms are a more contemporary and extensive campaigning method in elections. Perikatan, for instance, has been utilizing online campaigning in the recent six state elections and is doing the same for the by-elections. However, he does not believe this will significantly impact Pakatan’s chances of winning in Pulai, as the constituency has a high percentage of non-Malay voters who are generally less swayed by social media.
Dr Nuurrianti Jalli, an Assistant Professor at the Media and Strategic Communication Faculty of Oklahoma State University, notes that candidates on social media convey various messages related to approachable leaders, Islamic rhetoric, transformation, and the economy. While the probability of directly influencing voters through candidates’ posts might be low, there is still a possibility for users to be influenced by posts made by other users. She highlights the impact of party accounts and other users in shaping campaign views.
Malaysia, along with the Philippines, ranks second in the world for utilizing social media platforms the most, according to a study by US-based proxy provider ProxyRack. The Pulai constituency has 166,653 voters, with the largest group being those aged 21-29 at 21.05%, followed by the 30-39 age group at 20.54% and the 40-49 age group at 19.36%. The Simpang Jeram state seat has 40,379 voters, with the most significant group being those aged 30-39 at 23.1%, followed by the 21-29 age group at 22.6% and the 40-49 age group at 17.62%. Polling for both by-elections is scheduled for September 9, with early voting on September 5. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
