KOTA KINABALU: There is no denying the huge role social media had and would play in elections, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
This is because 80 per cent of voters in Malaysia use social media, he said, adding that people nowadays were more prone to believing what was going viral on social media instead of what was reported on mainstream media.
“Ninety-two per cent of first time young voters in the 18 to 29-year-old age group are active on social media,” Ahmad Zahid said when officiating at the Umno Sabah Social Media Convention here yesterday.
There is a need for Umno members to make full use of social media in the 14th general election in order to disseminate information and counter lies against the party and Barisan Nasional (BN), he said.
“We see that when information, even though lies, are uploaded on any social media, netizens assume that it is the truth and it goes viral very fast. The opposition used social media to spread lies about BN in the 12th and 13th general elections and they will do again in the 14th general election.
“We lost out in social media (campaigning) to the opposition in the last two elections but this time round we are ready to give them our best shot and fight their attempts to create a negative perception about the government,” the Umno vice president who is performing the duties of the party’s deputy president said.
Ahmad Zahid claimed that the opposition sent their “cybertroopers” for training outside the country so that they can hone their skills to attack the government through social media.
“This time round, we need to counter the negative perceptions; we cannot remain silent but instead must rebut all lies and allegations on social media,” he said, adding that there is also a need for Umno and BN to be wary of the opposition spreading lies about the government even when it is down to the crunch time of election.
He disclosed that in the last election, it was rumoured that there would be a massive blackout affecting poll counting centres in order to allow BN to cheat.
“But this did not happen. Also we need to counter the lies with facts and figures. We do not need to spread lies and untruths and this is why we nearly lost (in the last election). So this time round we will rally and fight the opposition on social media but in a good way,” Ahmad Zahid said.
The opposition had tried again and again to attack BN during elections and it would try again in this 14th general election, he said.
“This is the final election that will determine our future, please win the hearts and minds of the voters,” he said, adding that Umno and BN are not seasonal parties but ones that are always on the ground with the people.
“We are not like fruit bats that only come around during fruit season,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid described BN and Umno Sabah’s performance as excellent and urged the machinery in the state to work hard to ensure victory in the 14th general election.
He said that in Asean region Malaysia is third in terms of social media usage with 3.5 hours per person per day. The country comes behind the Philippines 4.3 hours per person per day and Thailand at 3.8 hours.
On the abuse of social media, he said that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had recorded 4,702 cases with action being taken against 4,003 of them.
The police, he added, had also opened up 208 investigating papers from January to November this year on reports they received against those who allegedly misused social media.
“We do not want what is happening to be accepted with the intention of freedom of expression or in the name of democracy,” he stressed.