TikTok videos by Malaysia election candidates add colour to campaigning

Both users who post at @tzafrul_aziz and @khairykj respectively, have been active in posting compilations of their visits and meetings with the people, videos of themselves talking about politics, and occasionally participate in TikTok trends. 

Tengku Zafrul posted a 6-minute long video explaining Budget 2023 which received more than 28,500 views while Mr Khairy has mainly been posting compilations of his campaigning efforts in Sungai Buloh since his candidacy for the seat was announced. 

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, 85, who is defending his Gua Musang parliamentary seat under a BN ticket, has also turned to TikTok to reach out to voters. 

“I am following the current trend by starting to be active on TikTok. This method is also an approach to bridge the gap with people who are separated by distance and other constraints.

“I also try to meet the tastes of young people in accordance with the changing times,” he told reporters on Thursday (Nov 10). 

The second oldest candidate in GE15 added that he has been active on the social media platform since October. His TikTok account, @tengkurazaleighhamzah, has 2,801 followers and is growing every day.

The campaign videos posted on TikTok allow these candidates to engage with a wider audience as they can also be reposted to Instagram and Facebook. 

As TikTok is largely a platform used by the youth, such videos help to ensure that young voters who may be less knowledgeable about politics are better informed before they proceed to vote on Polling Day. 

Following a constitutional amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, known as the Undi18 Bill, this will be the first general election where young people aged 18 to 20 cast their ballots.

The Undi18 law took effect on Dec 15 last year.

According to the Election Commission (EC), there are about 5.8 million new voters aged 18 and above who are eligible to vote in GE15. 

Overall there are more than 21 million voters expected to cast their ballots on Polling Day on Nov 19. Early voting will be on Nov 15. 

Additional reporting by Rhea Yasmine Bte Alis Haizan.