GE15: as polls mark youth voters’ debut, young candidates harness online campaigns

KUALA LUMPUR – The upcoming 15th general election (GE15) marks the debut of voters below 21 years old, which saw candidates using new tactics during campaigns to reach out to younger voters to win them over.

The Vibes reached out to a number of young candidates contesting GE15, who shared differing ideologies but who had unanimously agreed that online campaigns could reach out to youth voters just as effectively as traditional campaigning. 

Pakatan Harapan (PH) Petaling Jaya candidate Lee Chean Chung says that investing in digital marketing is a worthwhile expenditure, as it allows a wider reach to audiences, but he focuses on posting informative content as opposed to other coalitions.

“It is not just about a fun video with music, but about posting facts.

“We will stick to our own turf and maintain healthy engagements with our audience by raising awareness,” he added.

Hang Tuah Jaya PH candidate Adam Adli Abdul Halim opined that both physical and online campaigning have their own strengths and could benefit candidates in their own ways.

“Both approaches are effective and should be used. You get better engagement with social media, but there is more emotion and familiarity when meeting constituents in real life,” he said.

Nonetheless, both Lee and Adam prefer campaigning physically, as it allows them to genuinely communicate with their constituents and create a more authentic connection.

They also expressed that the youth in their constituencies have given an excellent reception. Noting that the young generation they met had a positive mindset, engaged well with them, and were open-minded, the candidates are confident that youth voter turnout will be high.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional (BN) Tebrau candidate Datuk Nicole Wong said she has an active social media presence to engage with the youth.

“I spend time (online) not only to convey messages and share important information to the public, but (I) also personally reply to the questions raised by the people,” said the MCA Youth chief.

“Young voters today are living in a different world. They are digitally savvy, and they rely heavily on online (platforms) to receive information and communicate with others.

“That’s why I put a lot of effort into working out social media strategies to reach out to young voters,” she added.

Wong also said that the youth have their own ideas that should be taken seriously, and encouraged them to reach out “to build a better Tebrau”.

Online campaigning: a necessity for Sabah, Sarawak

Meanwhile, online platforms play a larger role for Sabahan candidates in their campaign trails, as the youth are mostly overseas.

Sandakan’s Warisan candidate, Alex Thien said social media is important in his campaigns, as it allows him to engage with his constituents and effectively disseminate the party’s plans for Sabah.

“Voters aged between 25 and 30 make up a quarter of Sandakan voters, but the figure got bigger after Undi18. However, 30% of our voters are not here,” he said.

“So, we use social media to engage our voters, share our plans, and communicate what Warisan’s intentions are (for the constituency),” he added.

Thien lamented that the voter turnout for Sandakan might be low following high flight prices, but is happy to see young voters being more attentive in politics, as he sees an increasing number of young people at his talks.

Kota Kinabalu Warisan candidate Amanda Yeo amplified her online presence to attract the youth, as the parliamentary seat is too large to cover, and most of the young voters there are working overseas or in the peninsula. 

“I expect the voter turnout will be between 50 to 60%, but it will be divided in Kota Kinabalu’s five-cornered fight,” she said.

“For the youth, I focus on social media branding and strategies, as I mostly see older supporters in my physical campaigns and walkabouts.

“I can attract more youth online. My social media campaigns have had more engagement than my rivals,” she said.

GE15 takes place tomorrow and sees an estimated 1,393,549 voters aged 18 to 20 nationwide casting their votes for the first time. – The Vibes, November 18, 2022