Pas Internet Celebrities Edge Rivals In Selangor On Personal Touch

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STATE POLLS | PAS candidates for the six state elections are an eclectic mix - those who stick to the conventional campaign method and those hoping to capitalise on their social media status.
Those in the second bracket include preachers who double up as motivational speakers and can be regarded as social media celebrities due to their extensive online following.
Two such candidates can be found in northern Selangor for the Sungai Panjang and Sungai Burong seats.
Sungai Panjang is under the Sungai Besar parliamentary constituency while Sungai Burong falls within the Tanjong Karang federal seat. Both constituencies are located close to each other, separated only by the popular tourist destination and seafood haven Sekinchan.
According to voter data from the last general election, these were the areas where the “green wave” was strong, leading Perikatan Nasional to win the Sungai Besar and Tanjong Karang seats.
For the state election, PAS hopes that the “green wave” combined with famous preachers as candidates would help it net both Sungai Besar and Sungai Burong.
‘Strikes a personal chord’
In Sungai Panjang, PAS is fielding Mohd Razali Saari (below - left). He is the principal of a private religious school founded by the Islamic party and a therapist with Darussyifa’, an alternative treatment centre.
This is the second time Razali is contesting for the seat and will again battle Mohd Imran Tamrin, the incumbent.
As part of his campaign, the 41-year-old preacher has been providing life lessons in his TikTok live streams, for example, advising youths who own businesses to be “leaders instead of bosses”.
“Those who are bossy only give directions, if anything goes wrong, they blame their subordinates. But leaders are different, leaders will teach and work together,” he added.
His nightly live streams often start with observations about Sungai Panjang and the campaign before moving on to commenting on other matters. It is always towards the end that he will appeal to his viewers to vote for him.
Compared to the traditional forms of ceramah, Razali’s approach strikes a personal chord with the locals.
Furthermore, TikTok live broadcasts are interactive, allowing candidates to respond - "in real-time" - to various questions from voters.
The unprecedented “green wave” in the last general election was attributed to PN tapping into the power of social media, which caught Pakatan Harapan and BN unprepared.
During one of Razali’s live streams, a viewer commented: “I used to support BN, but now I am a PN member, fully support PN.” After reading the comment, the candidate also urged others to persuade their families and friends to vote for PN.
Another example of how campaigning through these mediums is more compelling is when Razali noted how a viewer invited him to visit a local silat group.
This allowed Razali to enthral the audience with his knowledge of silat. He noted that learning silat is also spiritual since its movements are related to solat, the daily prayer for Muslims.
“In fact, silat is inherited from the ulama who fought against the colonisers…,” he added, which some might interpret as having political undertones.
Who owns skyscrapers in Selangor?
In Sungai Burong, PAS candidate Mohd Zamri Mohd Zainuldin also (below) has frequent live broadcasts on TikTok and Facebook.
The Tanjong Karang PAS chief is a famous religious TV personality who used to host the “Mari Mengaji” programme on TV9. Zamri’s Facebook account has more than 1.1 million followers while his TikTok has 160,000.
Live streaming is a crucial part of his campaign. He speaks about various issues such as introducing homestays in Tanjong Karang and playing sepak takraw. His informal interaction sessions with his viewers, dubbed “sembang santai”, have the most views.
In one of his live streams with influencer “Papa Berry”, Zamri responded to Harapan supporters who said Selangor will become like Kelantan if PN wins the state.
“It is not that we want to make Selangor like Kelantan, but the good traits of Kelantan absent in Selangor can be absorbed. What are these good traits? Caring and unity,” he said.
Zamri said the Chinese and Indians from Kelantan speak Bahasa Malaysia in the local dialect fluently. At the same time, many non-Malays in Tanjong Karang have to use “Google translate and when we speak faster. They can’t understand”.
He said while the relationship between the different ethnic groups in Kelantan is harmonious, Selangor's situation is not the same. He cited the Seafield Temple riots in 2018 as an example.
“Although from a development point of view, Kelantan doesn’t have skyscrapers like in Selangor. But it (skyscrapers) prevents us from seeing who the owners of these buildings are.
“They are from other races, not our Malays,” he said in a response tailor-made for Malay voters, who are being told by certain politicians that non-Malays pose a threat to their race and religion.
“If we look at Kelantan's microeconomics... Kota Bahru Mall used to be the best mall in Asia, the top sales of Tesco Extra is in Kelantan, and Kelantan’s domestic flight is among the top three states. This shows that although the government looks poor, its people are rich,” he added.
Zamri, 44. will be contesting against Umno’s Mohamad Khir Ramli in Sungai Burong.
In comparison, most Harapan and BN candidates live stream on TikTok only when speaking on stage. There is no interaction. This is nothing more than the same political speeches circulated on a new medium.
An edge on social media could be the factor that tips the scales on Aug 12, especially when it concerns younger voters. - Mkini

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