Malaysian government endures blogging backlash

MALAYSIA goes to the polls on Mar. 8, but ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is taking a hit from its opposition over the internet. BN seem to be losing the political debate online, as a plethora of anti-government web sites and blogs have sprung up to campaigning against them.

The opposition concedes that it doesn't think its online anti BN blitzkrieg will actually prevent the party from winning yet another term in their uninterrupted 50 year rule, but hopes to at least be enough of a pain in the BN's backside to show the world, as well as to the Malaysian people, that the behemoth is not invincible.

In the past, opposition parties had absolutely no access to any form of mass media, in a country where the ruling coalition controls everything the population sees and hears, but now, with the advent of phenomenon such as YouTube and an infestation of boggers, the un-Internet savvy government is having a hard time keeping control. Its senior politicians have also admitted that they lack a convincing Internet strategy in the upcoming election.

An advocacy officer at the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Yip Wai Fong, told ZDNet Asia that the ruling coalition had been "very complacent" with regard to using the Internet in the political arena, and were finding it difficult to respond fast enough to the barrage of allegations and criticisms posted in their multitudes on pro-opposition Web sites and blogs.

Opposition party DAP even went as far as appointing popular bogger Jeff Ooi to run the part's online election campaign. The DAP's site includes including profiles of all its candidates, the party manifesto, YouTube-linked video clips and links to all the party's bogs. The site also acts as a channel for fundraising and hopes to be able to complement its efforts by sending out SMS text messages to spread its message to thousands via their mobile phones.

Ooi reckons, "DAP's e-election initiative is a platform to circumvent the media blackout on the opposition's messages imposed by the government-controlled mainstream media."

The Internet is also having an effect on some of the younger potential voters, helping, the opposition hopes, Malaysia's generation Y to become more politically conscious and giving them the potential to significantly impact the outcome of future elections.

As luck would (or wouldn't, in this case) have it, the present coalition will probably win the elections with the strong support from rural voters with little to no internet access or know how.

But CIJ's Yip said that she would consider the election a success if the opposition came close to denying the BN its habitual two-thirds parliamentary majority. In the 2004 polls, the BN won 90 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats contested.

About 10.9 million voters will cast their votes in Saturday's election. - THE INQUIRER/ZDNET ASIA