Social media the key factor to win GE14: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Winning on the social media front is the key factor for Barisan Nasional if it wants to continue to remain as the government after the 14th General Election, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak stressed.
Najib, who is also Umno president, admitted that the government coalition had lost in the cyber war against the opposition in the previous two general elections, which resulted in the poor results from BN.
He said the next national poll will be the mother of all general elections, thus it is necessary for all party cybertroopers to play their role effectively in thwarting the attacks from the opposition in cyberspace.
"We must press the button now and we must all move even stronger as the 14th General Election is a battlefield where the cyber war will decide the victor.
"The cyber is our new battlefield, and we must fight through it," he told some 4,000 Umno cybertroopers at the party's Social Media Convention at Putra World Trade Centre.
The 12th and 13th General Election saw Barisan Nasional lose its two-thirds majority in Parliament, a loss largely attributed to the lack of control of social media platforms.
Najib called for all party machineries to start doing their work now, hinting that the 14th General Election was "very, very near."
He also reminded party members to point their weapons towards the opposition, instead of against each other.
"Our enemy is the opposition, let there be no friendly fire. Sometimes where there is jealousy that resulted for us attacking among ourselves, rather than the opposition," he said.
"I do not like this attitude. The general election is getting closer. No more friendly fire," he added.
Najib said the cybertroopers would be playing a crucial role for the coalition to win the next election.
"In the cyber world, the effect is much greater. If Umno is not prepared, we will receive the heat," he added.