Impact of information resources on voter support of political parties: An empirical study of Malaysian general elections

Access and acquisition of information through reading and interacting to such information may influence a voter s stance to either accept or reject the information obtained. This study examines the extent to which traditional and new information resources had influenced voting pattern in Malaysia’s general elections. Based on a questionnaire survey of 300 respondents in the parliamentary constituency of Batu Pahat, the findings found that respondents who referred to and read both print and electronic media were more likely to support the ruling BN while respondents accessing alternative sources such as blogs and social media were more likely to support the parties in opposition (PR) . This was because both the print and electronic media in the country were controlled by the ruling party BN whereas most blogs and social media were controlled by the pro-netizen PR. This situation prevailed from the 1999 to the 2013 general elections. Thus, new media or the internet had changed the electoral landscape of the country and triggered a more far-reaching and faster democratization of information than traditional media.