This chapter seeks to explore the developing online media environment and its ramifications on th... more This chapter seeks to explore the developing online media environment and its ramifications on the political situation in Malaysia. It also aims to examine the benefits and disadvantages of e-democracy as well as the role of new media in initiating and sparking the growth of grassroots civil society activism. Another consequence of the proliferation of new media in the public sphere is the appearance of propaganda in the form of “fake” or “alternative” news, which has caused confusion among the online audience, who do not have sufficient media literacy to authenticate the information they receive.
When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its policies were strongly anti-natalist as the gov... more When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its policies were strongly anti-natalist as the government feared that population growth could strain its limited resources and hinder economic development. National campaigns were successfully used for population ...
The fourth chapter will trace the history and purpose, as well as the role and impact of the Inte... more The fourth chapter will trace the history and purpose, as well as the role and impact of the Internet on election campaigns. Next, it will outline the background of political campaigns and the use of communication strategies in Malaysian general elections from GE12 in 2008 and GE13 in 2013 to the most recent GE14 in 2018.
To gain and retain political power, politicians utilise the mass media to persuade the polity to ... more To gain and retain political power, politicians utilise the mass media to persuade the polity to support them, especially during elections. The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has successfully manipulated the mass media in Malaysia to maintain power for the past 57 years, making it one of the longest serving government in the world. The emergence of new media, however, has challenged this status quo. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how new media has influenced the political process and communication strategies in Malaysia, and its subsequent impact on the Malaysian political landscape. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted among politicians, bloggers and media consultants from both sides of the political divide, along with direct observation of the use of the new media during elections. The study revealed that new media, especially Web 2.0, has expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process – through information dissemination, mobilization or crowd-sourcing and fund-raising. At the same time, the cyber-warfare between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) caused considerable confusion and disinformation on the polity. The online public sphere was inundated with political propaganda, often resulting in information overload for Internet users, thus affecting their quality of decision-making on political issues. Nonetheless, the emergence of the new media in Malaysia has become the single biggest threat to the BN’s political hegemony on the flow of information. Malaysian voters now expect greater engagement and interactivity with politicians via social media. Malaysian politicians are increasingly forced to be more accountable, transparent and responsive. Malaysian users of social media tend to be better educated and vocal; they can set the agenda for public discussion. This study concluded that the Internet and the use of social media have led to unprecedented complexity in the political communication process in Malaysia. The new media can function as a catalyst for media-savvy political actors working towards gaining power but this may not lead to a more democratic system as a whole. External factors such as the structure of the electoral system and political institutions play a part in determining whether ideas spread by social media can find fertile ground in the polity who can ultimately bring about political change.
M with a population of about 26 million, is an industrialising nation situated in South-East Asia... more M with a population of about 26 million, is an industrialising nation situated in South-East Asia, neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia. According to its 2000 Census, the average annual population growth rate was 2.6 per cent over the 1991 to 2000 period. Malaysia is also becoming increasingly urbanised with its proportion of urban population increasing from 50.7 per cent in 1991 to 62.0 per cent in 2000. Despite being a relatively young country, Malaysia is facing an ageing population trend. About one-third (33.3%) of its population was below 15 years old in 2000 compared to 36.7 per cent in 1991. Conversely, 3.9 per cent of its population were 65 years and older in 2000 compared to 3.7 per cent in 1991. Thus, the median age for Malaysia increased from 21.9 years in 1991 to 23.6 years in 2000. Although Islam is the official religion, it has a multiethnic, multi-religious society, which affects its media and consumer market. Malaysia’s total population in 2000 consisted of 94.1 per cent citizens, of whom 65.1 per cent were Bumiputeras (ethnic Malays and other indigenous peoples), 26 per cent were Chinese and 7.7 per cent were Indians, with a small minority of Eurasians and other indigenous tribes from East Malaysia. Religion is highly correlated with ethnicity. Islam was the most widely professed religion with its proportion increasing from 58.6 per cent in 1991 to 60.4 per cent in 2000. Buddhism is the main religion of its Chinese population at 19.2 per cent while 2.6 per cent profess to practise Confucianism or Taoism or other traditional Chinese religions. Most of the Indian community are Hindus at 6.3 per cent. There is also a sizeable Christian minority of 9.1 per cent (Population and Housing Census of Malaysia, 2000 and 2001). In its journey towards industrialisation, Malaysia is becoming more educated. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000, the literacy rate among Malaysian citizens aged between 10 and 64 years improved from 88.6 per cent in 1991 to 93.5 per cent in 2000, an increase of about five percentage points over the 1991 to 2000 period. There is an increasing trend towards consumption expenditure by Malaysian households, according to the 1998/99 Report on Household Expenditure Survey. In 1973, the average monthly consumption expenditure was RM412. It increased to RM1,161 in 1993/94 and RM1,631 in 1998/99. About 80 per cent of household expenditure is spent mainly on food, rent, fuel and power, transport and communication. Malaysia’s national language, Bahasa Malaysia, is the main language used in schools and institutes of higher education, as well as in the civil service. The Malaysian Government places great importance in promoting the national language as a means to maintain national unity across the different racial groups. As such, one of the objectives of the national broadcaster, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), is to use Bahasa Malaysia extensively to foster national unity in Malaysia’s multi-racial, multireligious society. Nevertheless, English is widely used, particularly in the corporate sector. Its proficiency is encouraged as the government sees it as a necessity in the drive towards achieving modernisation and an industrialised status by 2020. Thus, RTM broadcasts English language programmes with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles. Malaysia currently has five free-to-air television stations, of which two are government and three are private, and two private satellite broadcasting stations, which are Astro and MiTV.
GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, Nov 30, 2022
Food is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and has been a ubiquitous and prominent element in c... more Food is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and has been a ubiquitous and prominent element in cultural productions and narratives of cultures around the world. In literature, food is often employed literally and metaphorically to evoke the senses or communicate meaning about the identity, culture, or emotions of people. This article examines the connection between food and cultural identity in multicultural Malaysia as represented in the novel, The Sum of Our Follies by Malaysian author, Shih-Li Kow. It aims to identify how food is utilized in the novel to define a communal cultural identity for the characters in a fictional, small town of Lubok Sayong, Malaysia. Textual analysis of food references in the novel is employed to interpret the connection between food and cultural identity and draw parallels between the author-defined social reality in the novel and the Malaysian context. Anderson's (2006) theory of the Imagined Community is applied to understanding communal identity as constructed through food and food spaces. The analysis revealed that food and food spaces are used as an indicator of a community's geographical and physical environment, peer network, ethnicity, nationality and social class. Shih-Li Kow's construction of social reality in this novel shed lights on the significant role of food culture as an identity maker for communities in Malaysia. The novel also captures the complexity of the Malaysian urban and small town sociocultural and socioeconomic divide through the lens of food culture.
The last chapter looks at changes in the political process and environment that has emerged due t... more The last chapter looks at changes in the political process and environment that has emerged due to the extensive use of new media, which is now entrenched in the Malaysian media scene. It will delve into the issues of the use of new media among Malaysian citizens and scrutinise how new media can be the Fifth Estate, as a watchdog to promote accountability and transparency. Finally, it will also investigate how new media can be utilised by political actors to persuade voters, which is the ultimate aim to gain political power.
Evaluation is the fourth step of the public relations (PR) process (Wilcox and Cameron, 2009). Ac... more Evaluation is the fourth step of the public relations (PR) process (Wilcox and Cameron, 2009). According to Grunig and Grunig (2001), evaluation research is necessary to establish the effectiveness of public affairs programmes and their contribution to organisational effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to assess the perception of Malaysian PR practitioners in corporations towards evaluation research, the extent to which it is conducted, and the criteria and methods used. The researchers conducted intensive interviews with five PR practitioners from corporations in different industries, from banking to automotive and property. The findings show that evaluation is practised in PR corporations and perceived to be important by PR practitioners. The researchers found that common methods of evaluation include survey and media coverage. Corporations also prefer to outsource media monitoring to reduce cost. They also perceive a PR return on investment (ROI) in terms of media cove...
When the Internet was introduced, there were comparatively few websites, especially news websites... more When the Internet was introduced, there were comparatively few websites, especially news websites. Today, new media technology's drastic developments in the communications field have had a big impact on society at large. The development and larger availability of ...
JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government, 2015
To gain and retain political power, politicians use the media to persuade the masses to vote and ... more To gain and retain political power, politicians use the media to persuade the masses to vote and support them, especially during elections. Barisan Nasional (BN) has successfully used the media to maintain its power for the past 57 years, making it the longest-serving elected government in the world still currently in office. However, the emergence of the Internet has challenged the status quo. The purpose of the research was to investigate how new media has influenced the political process and communication strategies in Malaysia and its impact on the political landscape. The researcher interviewed 19 respondents: politicians, bloggers and media consultants from both sides of the political divide. The findings showed that new media, especially Web 2.0, has expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process, through information dissemination, mobilisation or crowd-sourcing. However, the cyber-war between BN and the opposition Pakatan Raky...
This chapter seeks to explore the developing online media environment and its ramifications on th... more This chapter seeks to explore the developing online media environment and its ramifications on the political situation in Malaysia. It also aims to examine the benefits and disadvantages of e-democracy as well as the role of new media in initiating and sparking the growth of grassroots civil society activism. Another consequence of the proliferation of new media in the public sphere is the appearance of propaganda in the form of “fake” or “alternative” news, which has caused confusion among the online audience, who do not have sufficient media literacy to authenticate the information they receive.
When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its policies were strongly anti-natalist as the gov... more When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its policies were strongly anti-natalist as the government feared that population growth could strain its limited resources and hinder economic development. National campaigns were successfully used for population ...
The fourth chapter will trace the history and purpose, as well as the role and impact of the Inte... more The fourth chapter will trace the history and purpose, as well as the role and impact of the Internet on election campaigns. Next, it will outline the background of political campaigns and the use of communication strategies in Malaysian general elections from GE12 in 2008 and GE13 in 2013 to the most recent GE14 in 2018.
To gain and retain political power, politicians utilise the mass media to persuade the polity to ... more To gain and retain political power, politicians utilise the mass media to persuade the polity to support them, especially during elections. The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has successfully manipulated the mass media in Malaysia to maintain power for the past 57 years, making it one of the longest serving government in the world. The emergence of new media, however, has challenged this status quo. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how new media has influenced the political process and communication strategies in Malaysia, and its subsequent impact on the Malaysian political landscape. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted among politicians, bloggers and media consultants from both sides of the political divide, along with direct observation of the use of the new media during elections. The study revealed that new media, especially Web 2.0, has expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process – through information dissemination, mobilization or crowd-sourcing and fund-raising. At the same time, the cyber-warfare between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) caused considerable confusion and disinformation on the polity. The online public sphere was inundated with political propaganda, often resulting in information overload for Internet users, thus affecting their quality of decision-making on political issues. Nonetheless, the emergence of the new media in Malaysia has become the single biggest threat to the BN’s political hegemony on the flow of information. Malaysian voters now expect greater engagement and interactivity with politicians via social media. Malaysian politicians are increasingly forced to be more accountable, transparent and responsive. Malaysian users of social media tend to be better educated and vocal; they can set the agenda for public discussion. This study concluded that the Internet and the use of social media have led to unprecedented complexity in the political communication process in Malaysia. The new media can function as a catalyst for media-savvy political actors working towards gaining power but this may not lead to a more democratic system as a whole. External factors such as the structure of the electoral system and political institutions play a part in determining whether ideas spread by social media can find fertile ground in the polity who can ultimately bring about political change.
M with a population of about 26 million, is an industrialising nation situated in South-East Asia... more M with a population of about 26 million, is an industrialising nation situated in South-East Asia, neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia. According to its 2000 Census, the average annual population growth rate was 2.6 per cent over the 1991 to 2000 period. Malaysia is also becoming increasingly urbanised with its proportion of urban population increasing from 50.7 per cent in 1991 to 62.0 per cent in 2000. Despite being a relatively young country, Malaysia is facing an ageing population trend. About one-third (33.3%) of its population was below 15 years old in 2000 compared to 36.7 per cent in 1991. Conversely, 3.9 per cent of its population were 65 years and older in 2000 compared to 3.7 per cent in 1991. Thus, the median age for Malaysia increased from 21.9 years in 1991 to 23.6 years in 2000. Although Islam is the official religion, it has a multiethnic, multi-religious society, which affects its media and consumer market. Malaysia’s total population in 2000 consisted of 94.1 per cent citizens, of whom 65.1 per cent were Bumiputeras (ethnic Malays and other indigenous peoples), 26 per cent were Chinese and 7.7 per cent were Indians, with a small minority of Eurasians and other indigenous tribes from East Malaysia. Religion is highly correlated with ethnicity. Islam was the most widely professed religion with its proportion increasing from 58.6 per cent in 1991 to 60.4 per cent in 2000. Buddhism is the main religion of its Chinese population at 19.2 per cent while 2.6 per cent profess to practise Confucianism or Taoism or other traditional Chinese religions. Most of the Indian community are Hindus at 6.3 per cent. There is also a sizeable Christian minority of 9.1 per cent (Population and Housing Census of Malaysia, 2000 and 2001). In its journey towards industrialisation, Malaysia is becoming more educated. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000, the literacy rate among Malaysian citizens aged between 10 and 64 years improved from 88.6 per cent in 1991 to 93.5 per cent in 2000, an increase of about five percentage points over the 1991 to 2000 period. There is an increasing trend towards consumption expenditure by Malaysian households, according to the 1998/99 Report on Household Expenditure Survey. In 1973, the average monthly consumption expenditure was RM412. It increased to RM1,161 in 1993/94 and RM1,631 in 1998/99. About 80 per cent of household expenditure is spent mainly on food, rent, fuel and power, transport and communication. Malaysia’s national language, Bahasa Malaysia, is the main language used in schools and institutes of higher education, as well as in the civil service. The Malaysian Government places great importance in promoting the national language as a means to maintain national unity across the different racial groups. As such, one of the objectives of the national broadcaster, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), is to use Bahasa Malaysia extensively to foster national unity in Malaysia’s multi-racial, multireligious society. Nevertheless, English is widely used, particularly in the corporate sector. Its proficiency is encouraged as the government sees it as a necessity in the drive towards achieving modernisation and an industrialised status by 2020. Thus, RTM broadcasts English language programmes with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles. Malaysia currently has five free-to-air television stations, of which two are government and three are private, and two private satellite broadcasting stations, which are Astro and MiTV.
GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, Nov 30, 2022
Food is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and has been a ubiquitous and prominent element in c... more Food is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and has been a ubiquitous and prominent element in cultural productions and narratives of cultures around the world. In literature, food is often employed literally and metaphorically to evoke the senses or communicate meaning about the identity, culture, or emotions of people. This article examines the connection between food and cultural identity in multicultural Malaysia as represented in the novel, The Sum of Our Follies by Malaysian author, Shih-Li Kow. It aims to identify how food is utilized in the novel to define a communal cultural identity for the characters in a fictional, small town of Lubok Sayong, Malaysia. Textual analysis of food references in the novel is employed to interpret the connection between food and cultural identity and draw parallels between the author-defined social reality in the novel and the Malaysian context. Anderson's (2006) theory of the Imagined Community is applied to understanding communal identity as constructed through food and food spaces. The analysis revealed that food and food spaces are used as an indicator of a community's geographical and physical environment, peer network, ethnicity, nationality and social class. Shih-Li Kow's construction of social reality in this novel shed lights on the significant role of food culture as an identity maker for communities in Malaysia. The novel also captures the complexity of the Malaysian urban and small town sociocultural and socioeconomic divide through the lens of food culture.
The last chapter looks at changes in the political process and environment that has emerged due t... more The last chapter looks at changes in the political process and environment that has emerged due to the extensive use of new media, which is now entrenched in the Malaysian media scene. It will delve into the issues of the use of new media among Malaysian citizens and scrutinise how new media can be the Fifth Estate, as a watchdog to promote accountability and transparency. Finally, it will also investigate how new media can be utilised by political actors to persuade voters, which is the ultimate aim to gain political power.
Evaluation is the fourth step of the public relations (PR) process (Wilcox and Cameron, 2009). Ac... more Evaluation is the fourth step of the public relations (PR) process (Wilcox and Cameron, 2009). According to Grunig and Grunig (2001), evaluation research is necessary to establish the effectiveness of public affairs programmes and their contribution to organisational effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to assess the perception of Malaysian PR practitioners in corporations towards evaluation research, the extent to which it is conducted, and the criteria and methods used. The researchers conducted intensive interviews with five PR practitioners from corporations in different industries, from banking to automotive and property. The findings show that evaluation is practised in PR corporations and perceived to be important by PR practitioners. The researchers found that common methods of evaluation include survey and media coverage. Corporations also prefer to outsource media monitoring to reduce cost. They also perceive a PR return on investment (ROI) in terms of media cove...
When the Internet was introduced, there were comparatively few websites, especially news websites... more When the Internet was introduced, there were comparatively few websites, especially news websites. Today, new media technology's drastic developments in the communications field have had a big impact on society at large. The development and larger availability of ...
JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government, 2015
To gain and retain political power, politicians use the media to persuade the masses to vote and ... more To gain and retain political power, politicians use the media to persuade the masses to vote and support them, especially during elections. Barisan Nasional (BN) has successfully used the media to maintain its power for the past 57 years, making it the longest-serving elected government in the world still currently in office. However, the emergence of the Internet has challenged the status quo. The purpose of the research was to investigate how new media has influenced the political process and communication strategies in Malaysia and its impact on the political landscape. The researcher interviewed 19 respondents: politicians, bloggers and media consultants from both sides of the political divide. The findings showed that new media, especially Web 2.0, has expanded the public sphere and enabled more Malaysians to participate in the democratic process, through information dissemination, mobilisation or crowd-sourcing. However, the cyber-war between BN and the opposition Pakatan Raky...
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Papers by Pauline Leong