Labeled as a “pain in the neck” by a former President of a leading Barisan Nasional component party, Malaysiakini has gained a foothold and a loyal following since its formation in 1999 as an alternative news source. The mainstream press once set the agenda for what headlines Malaysians read each morning or watched on TV, but today Malaysiakini’s press reports have broken the status quo.  With its “Breaking news” feature, Malaysiakini has grown from four staff members into a reporting force of 30 journalists who wield clout on the national level.

Steven Gan, co-founder of Malaysiakini, and Oon Yeoh, well known new media analyst, were guest speakers during the English session of the MCA Lifelong Learning “New Media, New Politics” forum entitled “Information Democracy in the Internet Era.” The session was moderated by the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research CEO, Sdri Fui K. Soong.

It was a pleasant surprise for MCA when Gan, proud of his Ketari New Village roots from Bentong, announced that this was his first time speaking at a function organized by any political party.

Impact of the internet during the 12th GE

The Merdeka Centre conducted a survey among 1024 respondents from 14 to 21 March on the three portals most frequented for news during the 12th General Elections. According to slides showed by Gan, Malaysiakini had the highest online readership followed by Harakah and various blogs. After the elections, Malaysiakini has continued to maintain its high viewership, overtaking Star online even though the latter is free and has more features, such as Metro. This suggests that readers, in search of more credibility, are increasingly referring to online news instead of mainstream media sources.
Another advantage of Malaysiakini is its “Breaking news” feature which enables hot topics and exclusives to be published immediately and read spontaneously, a benefit over the mainstream news in which readers may only view a story later at night or the next morning.

During Gan’s no-holds-barred presentation, he declared that “the Internet has helped not only in breaking the mainstream media’s monopoly on the truth but also in breaking the government’s monopoly on power.” Oon added that “people don’t go to online news because they like to read from the PC. People go to online news because they can’t get news from the mainstream.”

The internet was able to make an impact on the general election results through secondary access. Urbanites would download images from the internet, then print and distribute them back to the kampongs. “Images show what’s happening to generate support,” says Gan. The internet played a large role in bringing people’s unhappiness to a boil.

Other tools of the new media would include VCD and SMSes.

Gan downplayed the internet as the sole cause for the political tsunami of March 8, simply known as 308, “when talking about the new media, don’t forget the humble VCD. Not every kampong house may have internet access, but most would have a TV and VCD player.” While the media played a role, it was a people’s campaign against the government. People were also using other media sources like SMSes.

What to expect from the new media in the 13th GE?

Oon is of the opinion that by the next general elections, which must be held by 2013, Malaysia will have broadband and 4G. Gan forsees WiMax videos on the handphone. All of these tools of the new media suggest that alternative news will be able to reach a far wider range of Malaysians more rapidly that it already has, and it would be naïve to dismiss bloggers or alternative news media as inconsequential. The internet will be the primary source for news, including coverage of national issues that sway voter opinion.

How may the government or political parties take advantage of new media?

Both Oon and Gan gave the overriding advice that, in order to gain wider acceptance by readers and voters, it is important for political parties to engage with alternative media and not dismiss them. It is unfortunate that there are BN politicians who had brushed off Malaysiakini while the opposition candidates took full advantage of Malaysiakini by placing catchy advertisements on its web pages.

Both speakers suggested that BN should have a voice on the web and must respond to what is being said there. For 308, moreover, the opposition knew that Malaysiakini is a well-read source of political news, yet BN largely shunned online media and accused Malaysiakini of being anti-government. A poignant yet pertinent question was raised, “if you block Malaysiakini, how can we cover government functions?” Political parties will have to treat the new media as part of mainstream media.

Oon said that “even among bloggers, there is ethos in embracing blogging.” He advised aspiring political candidates to blog in the correct way and cited two examples. When a leading UMNO politician blogged pessimistically and snidely about the swine farms in Selangor after 308, his blog was bombarded with criticisms until he shut it down. But that action was too late, for other netizens had already copied and posted the criticisms elsewhere. Meanwhile, when a DAP stalwart called for a boycott of the Perak Menteri Besar’s swearing in, his blog was also met with plenty of criticism, but he didn’t remove his entries. Oon said that “it is reasonable to control one’s blog but not to over-control it.” He also advised that “if MCA wants to blog, it must come from the heart, and not get other people (to blog for you)”.

What’s next for new media?

Given that the first 100 days since BN and PR leaders were sworn in has passed, Gan quipped that “the honeymoon is over. We can see that people are becoming more critical. Three months is enough to get used to bureaucracy. In the new media, people are also more critical.”
Meanwhile, Gan affirmed that in sticking to the principle of responsible journalism, it is Malaysiakini ‘s “job as jornialists to hold politicians – be they BN or the opposition – accountable to those who put them in power. As such we will continue to provide news and views that matter, without fear or favour.” It is the media which is the fourth estate to be the check and balance on political power.

Source: the Guardian, August 2008, by Ivy Tan