Sara Chinnasamy

Internet Media and Democratisation in Malaysia Sara Chinnasamy

"On 8th March 2008, Malaysia's electoral upset unfolded at a glacial pace on government-owned television channels. As the approved pundits stumbled to grasp the stunning implications of the electoral result, some 500,000 Malaysians lost patience and turned to Malaysiakini.com an independent online newspaper with 35 staff. It was faster and did not fight shy of trumpeting the Opposition?s excellent showing"(The Economist, 10 March 2008). "On May 5, 2013, Malaysiakini.com reached 4.3 million readers on election night, and there were 1.3 million hits on the portal?s mobile version. Furthermore,the portal's free access time in 2013 was increased compared to 2008, from April 17, 2013 onwards, with the General Elections taking place on May 5, 2013. This demonstrates the more sophisticated techniques of the portal exemplifies its understanding of how to contribute to civil society movement. Such growth and sophistication is helping to develop additional democratic spaces in Malaysia, and may mobilize the next stage of more inclusive democratic participation in the country (Chinnasamy, 2013).