When politicians become content creators

PODCAST co-host and former politician Shahril Hamdan said something recently that stuck with me. He talked about how performative Malaysian politics has become. He’s not wrong.

In an age of short videos and livestreams, the distance between politicians and the public has never seemed smaller. That, in some ways, is progress. Information travels faster. Engagement is more direct. But alongside this shift, a quieter trend has also emerged: political expression is becoming increasingly influencer-like.

This isn’t simply about using social media. It’s about a change in form and logic. Content is now designed for attention and for immediate reaction. Short, bold, opinionated statements travel further. They resonate more easily.

The consequence, however, is that complex policy issues often struggle to be properly discussed. Nuanced arguments lose out to simpler, more emotional ones. This is not the fault of any single politician or platform. It is the nature of the ecosystem we now inhabit.

Yet governance, by its very nature, requires patience and depth. Good policy involves long-term planning, coordi-nation across ministries, and meticulous execution. These things are not always “sensational”. But they are essential.

Political behaviour is often shaped by the society around it. If the public responds more readily to bold and emotional content, then that is what will be produced. If, on the other hand, more thoughtful, substantive discussion receives greater support, then the space for meaningful dialogue will gradually expand.

There’s an old saying, and it stings because it’s true: We get the politicians we deserve.

Every like, every share, every comment is a small choice. And over time, these small choices shape the direction of public discourse. What we reward grows. What we ignore slowly fades.

Perhaps the answer is not to reject new forms of commun-ication entirely. Rather, it is to learn how to use them better so that more constructive content can be seen, and deeper conversations can still take place. Again, we should be reminded that popularity is not the same as capability; virality is not the same as truth.

The shape of our politics is often a mirror of our society. And each of us, in small ways, is part of that mirror.

SC TEOH

Melaka