Political Communication in Malaysia: A study on the Use of New Media in Politics

Pauline Pooi Yin Leong

doi:10.29379/jedem.v7i1.372

Abstract

To gain and retain political power, politicians use the media to persuade the masses to vote and support them, especially during elections. Barisan Nasional (BN) has successfully used the media to maintain its power for the past 57 years, making it the longest-serving elected government in the world still currently in office. However, the emergence of the Internet has challenged the status quo. The purpose of the research was to investigate how new media has influenced the political process and communication strategies in Malaysia and its impact on the political landscape. The researcher interviewed 19 respondents: politicians, bloggers and media consultants from both sides of the political divide. The findings showed that new media, especially Web 2.0, has expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process, through information dissemination, mobilisation or crowd-sourcing. However, the cyber-war between BN and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has caused confusion and disinformation, affecting the quality of democratic decision-making. Nevertheless, new media has enabled more voices to emerge and challenge the political hegemony.

Highlights

Politics is a decision-making process and a struggle to gain access to decision-making positions and resources that could be used to further one’s own interests (Louw, 2010)
The findings revealed that new media, especially Web 2.0, have expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process, through information dissemination, mobilisation or crowd-sourcing and fundraising
Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians and socio-political bloggers have easy and wide access to traditional media; one media consultant said that the BN government should have greater access as it needs the media to explain and implement policies for the people’s benefit

Summary

Introduction

Politics is a decision-making process and a struggle to gain access to decision-making positions and resources that could be used to further one’s own interests (Louw, 2010). This involves the ability to manipulate the machinery of language making – the media. Access to power is gained by winning elections (Louw, 2010), which is why politicians and political parties need the media to persuade large numbers of voters to support them. The media is the most important cultural resource for politicians and political parties, key political “king makers” as media discourses legitimise or de-legitimise hierarchies of positions

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Conclusion