Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19

Social media has become the preferred political communication tool whereby it has been used to influence public political perception and act as a platform for political discourse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people expressed their opinions on the ruling government through trending hashtags. This s...

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Main Authors: Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni, Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha, Yaccob, Yasmin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Qualitative Research Association of Malaysia 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/1/116622.pdf
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author Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni
Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha
Yaccob, Yasmin
author_facet Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni
Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha
Yaccob, Yasmin
author_sort Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Social media has become the preferred political communication tool whereby it has been used to influence public political perception and act as a platform for political discourse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people expressed their opinions on the ruling government through trending hashtags. This study explores the role of the political hashtag #KerajaanGagal in affecting public perception of the government and how public debate on social media is influenced by the political conflict in Malaysia. The study aims to examine how the usage of the political hashtag #KerajaanGagal on social media influences the public perception and opinion towards the then Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s government. Qualitative research methodology was adopted in this study by conducting in-depth interviews with ten informants among Twitter users who are opinion leaders, activists, social media and political analysts, all of whom are between millennial age groups. Key outcomes of the trending political hashtag #KerajaanGagal were found to defy the ‘Spiral of Silence Theory’ that individuals tend to selfcensor their opinions to fit in with the perceived majority. The catchy #KerajaanGagal hashtag reflects a relatable current situation, gaining public attention. The usage and further trending of #KerajaanGagal is found to be due to public dissatisfaction and frustrations during the COVID-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO) coupled with the lack of engagement or response from the targeted party. Social media is able to transform the political scene as it enables the public to practice freedom of speech and ‘find’ like-minded people to align themselves in support of a cause.
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spelling upm-1166222025-04-14T03:45:55Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/ Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19 Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha Yaccob, Yasmin Social media has become the preferred political communication tool whereby it has been used to influence public political perception and act as a platform for political discourse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people expressed their opinions on the ruling government through trending hashtags. This study explores the role of the political hashtag #KerajaanGagal in affecting public perception of the government and how public debate on social media is influenced by the political conflict in Malaysia. The study aims to examine how the usage of the political hashtag #KerajaanGagal on social media influences the public perception and opinion towards the then Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s government. Qualitative research methodology was adopted in this study by conducting in-depth interviews with ten informants among Twitter users who are opinion leaders, activists, social media and political analysts, all of whom are between millennial age groups. Key outcomes of the trending political hashtag #KerajaanGagal were found to defy the ‘Spiral of Silence Theory’ that individuals tend to selfcensor their opinions to fit in with the perceived majority. The catchy #KerajaanGagal hashtag reflects a relatable current situation, gaining public attention. The usage and further trending of #KerajaanGagal is found to be due to public dissatisfaction and frustrations during the COVID-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO) coupled with the lack of engagement or response from the targeted party. Social media is able to transform the political scene as it enables the public to practice freedom of speech and ‘find’ like-minded people to align themselves in support of a cause. Qualitative Research Association of Malaysia 2024 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/1/116622.pdf Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni and Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha and Yaccob, Yasmin (2024) Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19. The Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 10 (1). pp. 1-11. ISSN 1823-8521; eISSN: 3009-0237 https://www.mjqr-qram.org/_files/ugd/46f52f_aec5b90212f84bf5bdbbd3932be5e406.pdf 10.61211/mjqr100102
spellingShingle Mohd Nuzulrudin, Nurul Ayuni
Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha
Yaccob, Yasmin
Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title_full Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title_fullStr Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title_short Exploring the usage of #Kerajaan Gagal by Twitter users during COVID-19
title_sort exploring the usage of #kerajaan gagal by twitter users during covid-19
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116622/1/116622.pdf