This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 14, 2022 - November 20, 2022

Ever since the dissolution of parliament on Oct 10, the internet has been overflowing with information, with news sites constantly churning out political news in the run-up to the 15th general election (GE15) while social media has acted as a platform for public discussion and information dissemination among Malaysians and electoral candidates.

The Covid-19 pandemic was definitely a driving factor for politicians of all ages to embrace all forms of social media, as seen during the Johor state election earlier this year, when electoral candidates who tested positive for the virus used the platform to campaign.

Admittedly, navigating through all the information to distinguish between facts, propaganda, misinformation and disinformation can be challenging and overwhelming, considering that 945 candidates from rival political parties are vying for 222 parliamentary seats.

This is why Digital Edge has put together a toolkit to aid first-time and seasoned voters to cut through the noise and make an informed decision before voting come Saturday, Nov 19.

The first and most important step is to ensure that you are a registered voter. On Nov 25, 2021, the Undi18 constitutional amendment was gazetted to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 and for automatic voter registration, which means that if you had not registered before, you would automatically be registered as a voter now. To check on your voter registration status, visit the MySPR Semak website, https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my/semakan.

It is important to know whether you will be voting for both your Member of Parliament (MP) and state assembly person (ADUN), or just your MP. The general election triggered the dissolution of parliament, but not the state assemblies. States such as Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, Penang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah and Sarawak have abstained from dissolving the respective state assemblies.

According to a survey by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) last year, 35% of Malaysians don’t know the difference between an ADUN and an MP. Well, MPs represent a constituency in parliament, where the party with the winning majority will form the federal government and elect the prime minister. MPs are focused on federal policies that affect the nation and will debate and vote on newly tabled bills in parliament. Existing legislation and policies can be amended too, subject to the general consensus in the House.

Meanwhile, elected ADUNs represent a state constituency at the state legislative assembly, where the party with the winning majority will form the state government and elect its head (menteri besar, chief minister or premier). ADUNs are focused on enacting and amending state laws as well as monitoring issues pertaining to land, religion, natural resources, their own state budgets, local councils, and state and local roads.

To know your candidates better and to make an informed decision on who to vote for, be sure to research the candidate’s party, his or her background and manifesto. A quick web search will give you the information at your fingertips, with resources abundantly available on news sites and social media.

Be sure to gather enough information on the candidates and analyse the causes they are advocating for, so that you don’t second-guess yourself at the ballot box. You may also attend political talks in your area, as candidates will most likely give such talks during the campaign period.

To find out who are the nominated candidates in your constituency, visit the MySPR Semak website: https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my/semakan.

a. Additional resources: MyMP

The Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) started an initiative in 2016 called MyMP, an open-sourced website with data on all elected representatives. The website’s first iteration listed all MPs and enlisted volunteers to key in data about the MPs so the public would get to know their elected politicians better.

MyMP launched version 2.0 of the website in September 2020, focusing on making the process of getting to know your MPs fun and engaging, featuring 8-bit avatars for each MP and a role-playing game (RPG)-like stat tracking system based on objective data and observations by a team of volunteers at MCCHR, Sinar Project and Undi18. (https://mymp.org.my/)

b. Leveraging social media

As most Malaysians consume daily news via social media, political candidates have ramped up their social media presence to garner votes from the youth, especially since Undi18 came into effect and GE15 will see more young voters.

The usual suspects — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok — have all been utilised to reach as many voters as possible. Political analysts, prominent journalists, non-governmental organisations and global watchdogs have also shared information on these platforms so voters remain informed.

It’s easy to be swayed by trendy or mundane, everyday content posted by politicians, so be sure to scrutinise the more serious posts and understand their stand on different issues and policies.

c. Fact-checking and cross-checking — make sure you’ve got your facts right!

If your only source of information about a political candidate or party is from family and friends, be sure to take it with a pinch of salt and verify the information you’ve gathered from reliable sources, especially before sharing it with other people. The same principle should be applied to social media posts. Be vigilant about the information you digest.

Malaysia’s political landscape is rather fragmented at the moment, and after taking all the necessary steps to be a responsible and informed voter, you may find yourself jaded with Malaysian politics.

 At this juncture, if you find yourself unable to choose a candidate or party to support, go back to the basics and look into the party’s principles to decide which you align with the most. 

Persevere a little bit longer and remember that the right to vote is a privilege that has the power to shape the future of the country and create a better Malaysia. Democracy ensures that power is with the people and politicians will be held accountable if they do not fulfil their promises.

Some may even argue, “One vote will not make a difference” but in reality, one vote can be the determining factor as to who will govern the state and country. This is the time for you to exercise your constitutional rights, so do go out and vote on Saturday, Nov 19.

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