Singapore politicians face off on social media

Online war rages with national polls in less than a week amid the coronavirus

Packed rallies are out, along with their cheers and jeers. In comes the internet, with its memes and trolls. The era of social distancing ushered in by the deadly coronavirus has forced Singapore’s political parties to face off online in the lead-up to a national election in less than a week.

“Compared to past elections, parties clearly are adopting a more experimental approach to sustain people’s interest and meet different needs,” said Carol Soon, head of the society and culture department at the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore.

Vying for attention

Though previous elections have increasingly seen political parties vie for attention online, social media is quickly shaping up to be a key pillar in campaign strategies this time around. The shift comes as politicians face public health restrictions on election activities with the island still grappling with virus infections. That includes the scrapping of physical rallies.

Social media has presented an opportunity for these parties to obtain greater access to voters, many of whom are digitally-savvy and increasingly politically engaged. Ahead of the July 10 polls, most opposition parties have sought to reach more voters by bolstering their content on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They are also making use of the ability to conduct live video broadcasts on platforms such as YouTube and Zoom.

To facilitate online campaigning, venues have been provided for candidates to do live streaming at certain time slots throughout the day during the campaign period, equipped with internet connectivity at subsidised rates.

Social media is quickly shaping up to be a key pillar in campaign strategies this time around.