Time to ramp up social media war in state polls: Nurul Izzah

BUKIT MERTAJAM – Pakatan Harapan (PH) must ramp up its social media offensive in the coming state elections, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said tonight.

She said PH has realised it is a “latecomer” to platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, which rival Perikatan Nasional (PN) used to good effect in the 15th general election in November last year.

“A great deal (of our efforts were)s spent clarifying all the fake news and hatred from PN. This is unfortunate. 

“We want our voters to be fed more detailed and accurate information so they can make matured and informed choices,” Nurul Izzah said when launching the Penang PKR and Women wings’ election machinery in Kubang Semang here this evening.

Nurul Izzah, who leads PKR’s northern region election machinery, said the PH machinery have been told to ramp up social media campaigning for the Penang election to counter potential misinformation by PN.

PH will also focus on women and youth voting for the first time, she said.

Nurul Izzah also said that seat allocations between unity government parties for Kedah and Penang are 95% complete.

Besides the two northern states, others due to hold state polls soon are Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan.

Also present at the machinery launch today was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Akin, who called for videos to be produced for PH’s social media campaign showcasing what the federal unity government is doing for the people.

“This can offset the wave of lies and slander by PN in the coming state elections,” Shamsul Iskandar said.

Shamsul proposed posting five videos daily on PH’s social media platforms, especially TikTok, adding that senior citizens also know how to access such platforms.

PKR Wanita deputy head Juwairiya Zulkifli warned that PKR and PH should not be complacent after being in power in both Penang and Selangor for three terms since 2008.

The Bukit Melawati assemblyman said although PH won 51 out of 56 state seats in Selangor in the 2018 general election, it lost three federal seats – Kapar, Hulu Selangor, and Kuala Langat – to PN in the last parliamentary election.

“The recent general election has taught us to be self-reflective on whether we have given our best (to the rakyat), especially the women and youth, during our three terms in power,” she said. – The Vibes, June 5, 2023