社交媒体与马来西亚政治民主化

Social Media and the Political Democratization of Malaysia

近年来,社交媒体的崛起和充满活力的网络社会为马来西亚政治民主化带来了前所未有的机遇。社交媒体有助于改变信息传播和社会动员的格局,为政治反对派引入新的战术和博弈工具,给长期执政的国民阵线造成严峻的挑战。它破坏了国阵的组织和信息优势,使其威权主义政治难以为继,极大地促进了马来西亚的政治参与、协商民主、新闻自由和民主选举。社交媒体无疑改变了马来西亚的政治结构和政治生态,但社交媒体只是民主化的催化剂,由于各种局限和不足,其本身并不足以动摇马来西亚根深蒂固的威权体制,真正实现政治的自由化。

In recent years,the rise of social media and the dynamic network society have brought unprecedented opportunities for Malaysia’s political democratization. Social media can help change the pattern of information dissemination and social mobilization,introduce new tactics and game tools for political opponents,and pose severe challenges to the current regime. It destroyed the organizational and informational advantages of the National Front regime,making it difficult to maintain the authoritarian politics that had been in power for a long time,and greatly promoting Malaysia’s political participation,deliberative democracy,press freedom and democratic elections. Social media has undoubtedly changed the political structure and political dynamics in Malaysia,but it is only a catalyst for democratization. Due to various limitations and deficiencies,social media itself is not enough to shake the deep-rooted authoritarian system and to achieve political liberalization. But there is no doubt that Malaysia ’s democratization has occurred,albeit gradually.