NAH AMBIL KAU - UMNO/BN TIDAK SETANDING PR DALAM PERANG CYBER

Pengerusi Unit Media Baru , Pemuda UMNO, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz mengakui UMNO/BN tidak standing dengan Pakatan Rakyat dalam ‘Perang Cyber‘

Dan dalam Pakatan Rakyat pula, syabas diucapkan kepada PAS kerana bijak menggunakan kelebihan yang ada jika dibandingkan dengan PKR...


UMNO/BN Not at Par with Opposition in Cyberwar Yet

by Syed Zahar

It goes without saying that that the 2008 General Election proved how significant a role new media played in the tsunami outcome. Cyberspace is a newfangled dominion for war of information between political parties. Like it or not, politicians in their 50s and 60s have no excuse to not move with the times with more and more of them from both sides of the political spectrums resorting to blogging, Facebook, Twitter etc.

Campaigning through new media is definitely the way to go for the opposition considering the media blackout and bias news from government-controlled mainstream media. They really made their presence felt to far-reaching places where people can access their tailored information anytime, anywhere as long as they have internet access and the required hardware (PC, notebook, smartphone).

According to UMNO Youth’s chairman of New Media Unit, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, Pakatan Rakyat’s use of the cyberspace was noticeable way before the polling began.

“It played a significant role in 1999 GE, 2004 GE and 2008 GE and it will definitely play even a bigger role in the coming election. During the 1999 GE, the approaches, methods and applications were different than those used in 2008,” Tun Faisal told Malaysian Digest.

The 39-year old UMNO Youth Exco also said that the target audiences were relatively smaller then (in 1999) and that the number of internet users are growing rapidly with time.

“In the coming General Election there is a significant increase in the X and Y generations and their population will be more than the baby boomers generation.” Tun Faisal said.

At this stage, Umno has taken a number of steps to counter the opposition’s early advantage in the cyber war. It is Tun Faisal’s job to explain to the senior leaders in UMNO on why it is important for them to look at new media seriously. He also has to recommend the seniors on the best approaches to be taken based on the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities that UMNO/BN has at present.

“We managed to reduce the gap (internet presence between BN and Opposition) from the efforts by our Cybertroopers unit which was established under UMNO Youth Media Unit before GE 2004, but unfortunately after GE 2004, we failed to keep the momentum and have been left very far behind in 2008 GE,” Tun Faisal said.

Tun Faisal also admits that, at the moment, the opposition still has the advantage over them in the fight for internet dominance.

“We are not at par with the opposition yet. But we have done far better than before the 2008 GE. There are a number of things that needs to be done at strategic level in order for us to be at par with the opposition.”

Tun Faisal also told Malaysian Digest that he likes the idea of freedom of information in the internet though he feels Malaysians are not ready to handle such freedom.

“On one hand, I believe it would be good to give such freedom, but on the other hand, Malaysians might not be ready to handle such freedom yet. Lies, slanders, manipulations and unethical writings have been practiced widely by many including big names in new media. There are people who can create lies from nothing. The Altantunya issue for instance is something which is created from nothing,” Tun Faisal said.


Malaysiandigest.com

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