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JOHOR BAHRU - With three days remaining before the Johor state election on Saturday, social media platforms continue to be the main medium for candidates from various political parties to make their final campaign push.
In addition to physically going down to the ground, candidates from both the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) coalitions have been seen intensifying their movements on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X to engage with various layers of society, especially the youth.
A creative approach that includes sharing the manifesto, explaining current issues, and daily campaign schedules and activities is widely used to attract the attention of 2.7 million voters, especially the youth and those who have not yet made a decision.
PH candidate for the Paloh state assembly seat, Dr. A Ruban, for example, utilises social media to convey his vision of transforming Paloh into a modern and competitive rural area, with a primary focus on empowering youth and women.
Although he is currently receiving treatment in the hospital due to a spinal issue (slip disc), his campaign team remains proactive in using digital platforms to ensure that their work is not disrupted, while also maintaining the momentum for the grand finale speech scheduled to take place tomorrow night.
"My vision is not just to develop Paloh for today, but to build a strong foundation for future generations. Together, let's make Paloh a proud model of rural development," he said in a post on the Facebook page 'Harapan Paloh'.
Meanwhile, the BN candidate for the Machap state seat, who is also the Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, is also leveraging the advantages of the cyber platform to urge the people to mandate the candidates from the coalition.
"I believe the candidates put forward have experience, integrity, and understand the pulse of the people in their respective areas," he said in a post on his official Facebook page.
In the Tanjung Surat state constituency, PH candidate Faizul Abdul Ghani adopts a more relaxed and people-oriented approach by sharing community visit activities, thereby highlighting the image of a candidate who is always in tune with the pulse of the voters in any situation.
Agility in cyberspace was also demonstrated by the PH candidate for the Puteri Wangsa seat, Dr. Maszlee Malik, who was seen as the most active in addressing various perceptions and explaining his previous development achievements.
The former education minister consistently uploads content related to the development of higher education institutions, school infrastructure facilities, and initiatives to boost the local economy to enlighten voters.
He also touched on efforts that are close to the people, such as the provision of black school shoes, which he said brings relief to parents through savings on family expenses.
For the PH candidate in the Simpang Jeram seat, Ir Nazri Abdul Rahman, social media serves as a "digital diary" that captures his camaraderie with the residents, including a relaxed moment having goat soto for breakfast at Warung Sri Tanjung, which has gone viral among local voters.
The sentiment of locals is also being played by the PH candidate for the Parit Raja seat, Shazwan Dzainal Abidin, who uses digital platforms to present the 'Tiga Tawaran HARAPAN' specifically for the local community to ensure that no group is left behind in the development stream.
BN candidate for the Bukit Permai seat, Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor, who is also the incumbent, is also using social media to seek the support of the people of Kulai.
Not to be outdone, candidates from Perikatan Nasional (PN), Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), and Independents also took advantage of live streaming and short videos to promote their offers, in addition to holding direct question-and-answer sessions.
The use of concise infographics and short TikTok videos has become the primary choice to ensure that the campaign message can be quickly absorbed by social media users.
The online campaign is expected to peak within 48 hours before the campaigning period ends at 11.59 pm on July 10, as it is the most effective method to reach voters outside the area.
The 16th Johor state election sees 172 candidates contesting for 56 state assembly seats, which will be determined by 2,727,926 registered voters this Saturday. - BERNAMA