KANDUNGAN MESEJ TWITTER OLEH KETUA PARTI POLITIK SEMASA PILIHAN RAYA NEGERI SARAWAK 2016 (Twitter messages content by political party heads during the 2016 Sarawak state election)

Abstract

Twitter is a micro blogging and social media gains more attention rapidly with the number of users is increasing every year. Flexible service provided by Twitter has changed the way how people exchange and share information with each other. Users can share latest information through a short status or tweet with other users who are their online friends. It also changes how users document their lives, interaction and friendship. Twitter users can come from various backgrounds including politicians in conveying information. The use of Twitter can also affect the audience through messages in the form of status. This study focuses on the type of Twitter content categories and messages trends by the heads of the political parties which involve the government leader, namely Dato Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak and The Opposition, Dato Sri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Malaysian politics. Content analysis was conducted on 216 statuses which had been updated during the 12-day Sarawak state election campaign. The selection on Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak and Dato Sri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail Twitter’s accounts is because they are the heads of their respective parties. They also stayed in Sarawak during the campaign period. The study found that both leaders were focusing on information message category during the campaign period compared to other categories. However, the leaders’ was not consistent in updating Twitter status during the period. The status update had increased in the first ten days of the campaign. For the last three days before the polling day, the status updates had decreased. The highest status updates is on the second day of the campaign period is because the head of government politicians updated status on his Twitter regarding to the National Transformation Annual Programme Report 2015. While the lowest status updates is on the first day of the campaign.