Abstract
This introductory chapter sets out the general landscape of the political environment in Asia since the emergence of new communication technology, which has challenged the dominance of traditional media. This development can be clearly seen in Malaysia, where the government, in 1996, introduced the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), a national information communication technology (ICT) initiative to attract world-class technology companies while grooming local players.
The expansion of digital technology has impacted Malaysian politics, which saw the then incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) government losing two-thirds control of Parliament and 5 states to the then-opposition in the 2008 12th General Election (GE12). The 2013 13th General Election (GE13) also saw proliferation of new communication technology in political campaigning, but the then BN government maintained its grip on power, despite losing the popular vote. The 2018 14th General Election (GE14) was a watershed moment as Malaysians voted to peacefully oust the BN government, which had been in control since the country’s independence in 1957.
This chapter will outline the evolution of the use of new media in political communication and discuss the effects of media-isation on the political process. It will also look at strategies utilised by political actors to further their online media communications, such as political public relations and advertising, and explore how politics in Malaysia is becoming increasingly professionalised with the reliance on media and other technical professionals in the political process.
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Pooi Yin Leong, P. (2019). Introduction. In: Malaysian Politics in the New Media Age. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8783-8_1
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