BN MUST RESPOND TO VIRAL ISSUES WITHIN THREE HOURS – AHMAD ZAHID

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) – Barisan Nasional (BN) must respond to any viral issue on social media, especially negative perceptions about the coalition, within three hours, said its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that unfavourable perceptions of BN must be addressed swiftly to prevent the public from believing them and harming the party.

“We lost in 2018, and again in 2022, because in my view, the (negative) perception about us was too strong and we did not address it in a timely manner.

“Social media must be used as a primary platform, and any issue – especially negative perceptions – must be responded to within three hours. We used to reply after three days, sometimes after 30 days, and by then it had already taken root in the minds of the people, even if sometimes the perception was inaccurate,” he said.

He said this in his keynote address at the fourth Better Nation BN Forum titled “What We Can Learn From the General Elections in Canada, Singapore, Australia” here tonight.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said BN must have a modern and dynamic political machinery that is skilled in using data and establishing two-way communication.

In addition, he said BN must rise with a politics of hope and be able to lead with stability and suitable policies in facing the upcoming 16th General Election (GE16).

“Intellectual politics must be cultivated, as the public is now more informed and wants politics with substance. The key to the party’s success lies in restoring trust – not merely increasing votes – and requires a model of post-polarisation politics," he said.

He also said BN must learn from the results of general elections in Canada, Singapore, and Australia, where parties formed governments despite facing various challenges.

“Their victory was based on different approaches, no longer conventional or conservative ones. They could not avoid using social media as a mode of communication,” he said.

He added that BN must also build a new narrative that addresses public anxieties, especially concerning rising prices, housing, employment, and the future of their children.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that prioritising the well-being of the people should not be mere rhetoric but must be translated into an agenda to be implemented over the next five years.

-- BERNAMA