This document discusses political communication in Malaysia and managing crisis. It notes that populations are more urbanized, affluent, and connected due to technology and development changes. The public trust in government is collapsing as governments face complex global problems. It examines how political communication has changed in Malaysia in the era of global connectivity and increased social media influence. It also discusses the government's plans to manage the crisis of confidence, including embracing greater transparency, participation, and reforms to distance from money politics.

1. Political Communication and
Managing Crisis:
Program Director
Communication Bureau,
Wanita UMNO Malaysia

2. • Around the world, demographics, technology and
development are redrawing the political landscapes.
• Malaysian populations: more urbanized, more
affluent and more connected.
• Government now is facing complex, often global
problems: The public trust in the government is
collapsing and now it is confronting a similar
challenge around the world.
• How to keep the politics relevant?
• How to keep people engaged in the democratic
process?

3. Two Parts:
• How political communication change in the era
of global connectivity in the lights of our recent
election?
• Crisis of confidence: How do the government
plan to manage it?

5. What is Political Communication?

6. Starting point: Aristotle’s “Rhetoric & Politics”
written in 350 B.C.
Political messages have been noted, dissected and
speculated for…
Well… 2000 years.

7. It’s all about Messages!
Construction, sending, receiving, and processing
messages that potentially have a direct impact or
indirect impacts on politics.
Who is the message sender?

8. Key Element:
“The message has a significant political effect on
the thinking, beliefs, and behavior of individual,
group, institution, and whole societies and the
environment in which they exist”.

9. Political Communication and Agenda
Setting
Process by which the news media shows to the
public what is important by giving more salient
to certain event and issues over other.
“The Highlighting Process”

10. • Role of Political Communication in Agenda Setting
• In Malaysia, the traditional media are heavily
restricted. This is where the highlighting
process occurred.
• Malaysian citizens have acquired new technology.
• Internet: Freedom that have been restrictive in
comparison to traditional media
• Internet: Campaign poster of unknown dimension

11. 21-30 yr old
Online Media
TV
Newspaper
2008 Zentrum Future Studies and 3500 respondent between 21-50 proves
the strong growing influence of the new media.

12. 31-40 yr old
Online Media
TV
Newspaper

13. Understanding Malaysian Political
Scenario

16. • 2008: Party that belonged to the government did
not recognize the growing of social media.
• Internet helped the opposition score electoral
success
• Former Prime Minister: “His biggest mistake
was to ignore cyber campaigning over the
internet.”
• 2004: Government won by landslide 90% in
holding of parliamentary seats.
• So what change?

17. New Media 2008 vs Social Media 2013
• February 2013: Prime Minister was quoted
widely in the media saying that the general
election in GE2013 will be the country first
“SOCIAL MEDIA ELECTION”

18. Is it really “Social Media Election?”

20. 2008
Barisan Nasional -140 seats
Pakatan Rakyat - 84 seats
2013
Barisan Nasional - 135 seats
Pakatan Rakyat - 89 seats

21. • Apart from the fact that the ruling party has
managed to close gap when it comes to reaching
the people through social network, and all the
number of likes: It’s not social media election.

22. • Yes. Social Media in Malaysia has change the
whole spheres of political communication.
• Influential in keeping political issue in the
forefront in the last 5 years.
• Ruling parties are unable to arrest the erosion of
support from Malaysian Voters.
• From the result, the ruling parties realized that
they are in the crisis.

23. Crisis and Three Significant Changes
Technology Demographic
Development

24. • People are more connected than ever.
• Voters in Malaysia are much better informed.
• How did the government reacted on this?
• How about the demographic challenge?
• How do we ensure sustainable development?
• The major underlying issues prior to the
Election?

25. • Practice Open Politics: Increasing participation
in the political process, embracing greater
transparency and improving state of democracy
within the parties, reforming internal process
and distancing from money politics.

27. • Malaysian are peaceful people.
• Share an instinct for unity and moderation.
• Nation founded on tolerance and guided by
peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.
• We are striving to join the ranks of Developed
Country by 2020.