The Role of Social Media In Increasing Political Influence For Malay Politicians

Abstract

The conceptual paper focuses on the role of social media in increasing the political influence among Malay politicians in Malaysia. The paper also aims to identify the most influential Malay politician who has rose using social media. In line with digital literacy, the political sphere is no exception. People are now more comfortable using social media as the primary source to seek political information, reflecting how the public is concerned with the content of Malay politicians on their social media regarding current issues. Therefore, monitoring what Malay politicians share on social media is essential to identify how they perceive the role of social media and how they utilise it. The findings of this conceptual paper are made using literature reviews collected and analysed. It is found that there is a strong connection between social media and Malay politicians, where the former was used as a communication platform to communicate with the public, gain support for political campaigns and as a source of information. This finding answered the research questions raised on the social media role in increasing political influence for Malay politicians and how former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has actively utilised his social media platforms to gain support and influence from his followers.