- 期刊
Najib Tun Razak, 1MDB, Social Media, and The Fall of Barisan Nasional in the 14^(th) General Election
摘要
This study examines the role of Najib Tun Razak, the sixth prime minister of Malaysia, in the fall of Barisan Nasional (BN) government in Malaysia's 2018 general election. We argue that the widespread usage of social media applications in the country had made it possible for the Opposition to disseminate information that discredited Najib Tun Razak's administration. By linking the rise in the cost of living and corruption in the country to the I Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, the Opposition was able to tarnish Najib Tun Razak's reputation and by association the BN. The inability of the Najib Tun Razak administration to provide a credible counter-narrative to 1MDB's scandal had contributed to the demise of the increasingly unpopular BN regime. Nevertheless, we would like to caution that the usage of social media as a political campaign tool alone was not the sole contributor of BN's defeat in the 2018 general election. The rifts among the politicians within the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the introduction of the unpopular Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the ability of the opposition parties to rally behind former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad were, among others, the factors that had tilted the election results in favor of Pakatan Harapan (PH). By relying primarily on social media postings, news report (both print and electronic), conversations with politicians from both sides of the political divide, and social activists, this study attempts to show how social media can be an effective political tool in amplifying public discontents and turning it into political change.