The role of tech in the polls
MOVE over Harlem Shake; GE13 is here. The biggest craze that is going viral on social media now, in Malaysia at least, is the general election. These days, it is impossible to go online without getting hit by some GEtinged news, video or message.
The vibrant arena is already proving to be a key space to watch come campaign time, as it was in the 2008 general elections. With limited access to the mainstream media, Pakatan Rakyat had turned to new media to get their campaign messages across, and it is believed to have helped the coalition dent Barisan Nasional’s two-third majority hold of Parliament by wresting four states and holding on to Kelantan.
This time around, digital technology’s role is intensified by its reach: some 65% of Malaysia’s population have access to the Internet while around 30% use smartphones.
Barisan have also heightened its presence in cyber space and mounted an aggressive online campaign initiative with almost 15,000 cyber troopers.
But will the increased use of social media make a real impact in the polls?
Social anthropologist Distinguished Prof Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin believes strongly that the impact may not be as significant as expected.
As he points out, the advent of digital technology may have made political information widely available and allowed voters to participate directly in the political discourse but it has not improved the political knowledge of Malaysians.
“Politics may be a ‘like’ for many people now, especially the young, but it does not mean that they understand it.”
The National Council of Professors (MPN) deputy chairman highlights a recent study by MPN on the voting habits of Malaysians, which revealed that many lack political literacy regardless of their level of education.
“People, especially the young, are more vocal now, but noise does not reflect knowledge. The bus stop is noisy, but that does not mean that there is a lot of knowledge there,” he says.
What we see happening in the political arena is Malaysians indulging in polemics instead of informed political discussions.
“What we have on social media is a lot of verbal diarrhoea,” notes Shamsul.
According to the survey, Malaysians’ average political literacy rate had declined by 10.9% between GE11 in 2004 and GE12 in 2008, compared to the population’s general literacy, which increased by 1% (recorded as 92.5% in 2008) in the same period.
Political literacy comprises knowledge of political institutions and an analytical understanding of political ideas surrounding them, he explains, but our education system only provides knowledge of the institutions.
The study, which interviewed 2,115 eligible voters from diverse backgrounds, looked at the statistical trends in voting (from the election results) as well as realpolitik (the study of politics based primarily on power, and practical and material considerations rather than ideological, moralistic or ethical premises).
Shamsul feels that although most politicians are “out there” in the social media networks, the average Malaysian still does not have enough knowledge of the political parties and their respective candidates.
One reason, he says, is that most Malaysians do not go online to read the political blogs or the analyses of policies.
“This can be seen in the top searches of Google and the popular Facebook pages. (In 2011) the most popular FB pages were the South Korean drama site Maaduu.com and Upin dan Ipin.”
As the study showed, the information that a majority of the voters have are based on “stories” they have heard from family, friends, and the Internet.
Consequently, many make their decision at the polls based on their perception shaped by anecdotes and not knowledge based on facts.
He claims this political “ignorance” is prevalent even among the people’s representatives, some of whom do not even have a good grasp of the basics such as the functions of Parliament or their roles.
“When I ask some MPs what their main job is, they mention various aspects of it, but not the drafting of new laws in Parliament,” he says.
In contrast, he concedes, the number of individual voters who understand the political institutions is growing due to the growing access to education, forcing politicians to react.
Connected but not conscious
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia research fellow Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria agrees that while Malaysians are generally still ideologically illiterate, most understand the func- tion and purpose of voting.
Dr Denison strongly believes that political diversity is healthy for democracy: “It is good in the long run as the political competition builds the political potential of candidates and builds national leadership.”
Crucially, he adds, voters are looking at individual personalities instead of parties or policies, a trend that is enhanced by social media.
“We are more personality driven now because political standings on issues for politicians on both divides are almost the same.”
This has led to some hankering for the “noble attitude” of the politicians of old like former premiers Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak or the visionary drive of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he opines.
“Some voters are losing confidence in certain political figures because they think the politicians are more interested in winning the elections than the welfare and future of the people.”
Former Welfare Minister and Wanita Umno leader Tan Sri Aishah Ghani worries that social media will be detrimental to the country’s political scene.
As the veteran politician sees it, although digital technology has a potential for good, people like to choose the “bad”.
“Instead of using it to educate themselves and improve their lives, people use it to read rubbish and play games.
“They don’t use it to learn about what democracy is or understand how it works,” she says, lamenting the people’s low political literacy after more than five decades of independence.
Then there are those who use social media for gossip, rumours and slander, she says, admitting that she is relieved the Internet did not exist when she was contesting.
“Last time, people sent out poison letters if they wanted to play dirty and smear their competition. Now you can do it with a click.”
Aishah also feels that the nature of the Internet has reinforced the populist culture where the political candidates try to be seen supporting the issue of the day, regardless of their political standing and personal integrity.
“Politicians should have consistent stands on issues. They cannot be like medicine sellers on the street corner, selling only the popular ‘medicine’ of the day.”
Aishah cautions politicians from getting lulled into a false sense of security from the number of “followers” and “likes” they have on the Internet and social media and advises them to go to the ground.
“You cannot be isolated in your own ‘ivory tower’,” she adds, reminiscing about how she and Wanita Umno members walked miles from one house to another and stayed at people’s homes during campaign time.
Although people were simple and less educated then, “politicking” did not easily sway them at the polls, says Aishah.
“From my experience, it was because people knew the candidates well – the candidate was like a friend or family member.”
Shamsul agrees, saying: “Most voters get influenced by this -whether they have seen the candidate and salam him or her - not the issues, the rational thoughts, not what the political analysts write; the majority of the people don’t read and don’t care.”
He too believes that GE13 will be decided by the personality factor, an aspect that was under-rated in the last elections, and opines, “This time around, at the local and national level, it will a battle of the gladiators.”