PETALING JAYA: Fifty-six constituencies, 2.7 million voters and just one week before polling day this coming Saturday to win over support. So how do candidates still reach and sway the masses?
Political analysts say the answer lies in the personal touch, even as virtual campaigning continues to dominate the race.
“When a candidate is on the ground, shaking hands, visiting small shops and homes or attending local gatherings, voters feel that their problems are being acknowledged,” said Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya.
He spoke of the importance of “turun padang” (goes to ground), saying that it allows candidates to demonstrate they are willing to listen.
“This is especially important in rural areas or Felda settlements where voters want to know whether the candidate understands local issues, instead of just repeating national slogans,” he said.
“In the kampung and semi-rural constituencies, a personal visit is not merely a campaign stop but it is a sign of respect. Politics there is deeply personal and community-based.”
As such, he said the most effective approach is a hybrid campaign, combining traditional methods with digital outreach.
Tawfik said urban voters would find social media, videos and online debates more convenient.
As for younger voters, he said it would be too simplistic to say that they prefer online campaigns.
“They may watch videos, share memes, or react to viral issues, but this does not automatically translate into votes or party loyalty,” he said.
Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said that personalised campaigning seems more prevalent in rural areas due to patronage-style politics.
“Candidates need to be seen in order to be perceived as effective and responsive,” he said.
Urban voters, he said, focus more on service centres as a measure of effectiveness “so there’s less need for candidates to engage in personalised campaigning”.
However, he said that social media campaigning is crucial regardless of whether the candidate is contesting in a rural or urban area.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research’s Dr Azmi Hassan said the digital era has transformed physical campaigning, with political parties now using voter data to decide precisely who and where to target.
“I think physical campaigning has become very, very specific now because all the parties have very detailed data on each voter.”
