Kit Siang Tweets He uses the Internet tool to update on Perak’s political turmoil By JOSEPH KAOS JR | Malay Mail | 13 May 2009 joejr@mmail.com.my
TECHNOLOGY has made it possible for hundreds of people to experience the Perak political turmoil through the lenses of Lim Kit Siang.
Using the increasingly popular Internet tool Twitter, the veteran politician has been feeding his “followers” with minute-by-minute updates on the Perak crisis.
Although the latest happenings can be gathered from online news websites, many turn to Twitter instead as Lim’s updates are posted as soon as it happens. This is possible with the help of the handphone web services.
“Entering the Menteri Besar’s office now,” said one of his Twitter updates, or Tweets. “MB’s office empty except some stationery,” revealed another.
Considering that all sorts of changes occur in Perak before anyone can say Jack Robinson, people will be eager to have the information as soon as possible.
The 68-year-old Lim defies the stereotype that most older people are rather clueless about embracing technology. Besides being among the first few politicians to set up a blog site, Lim also has a Facebook account.
To date, Lim has 505 Twitter followers. A check revealed that many of his political counterparts also subscribe to Twitter.
Among them are Jeff Ooi and Tony Pua, who are also Internet-savvy politicians themselves.
A Twitter account that claims to belong to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, with 703 followers, was also found on the Net. Its authenticity remains doubtful, as a check on his blog (chedet.coin) does not have a link to any Twitter page, unlike Lim’s blog that does.
Ever since the dawn of the new media, politicians have realised the importance of the Internet. They see it as a vital medium to reach out to the people, especially the younger generation. Barack Obama’s presidential victory last year was highly attributed to his intensive Internet campaign. So, should we expect to see more politicians Twittering from now on?
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Flash Perak exco wastes no time Written by Melody Song | The Edge Malaysia Tuesday, 12 May 2009 12:19
Making a bang into the Malaysian Twitterverse is DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang (@limkitsiang).
Twittering the events in Perak to his 300-odd followers, Lim revealed that the reinstated Pakatan Rakyat Perak government led by PAS’ Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin are wasting no time in announcing a string of decisions, although the state is still in limbo.
The following are a list of decisions made, according to Lim, who quoted senior exco member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham at the press conference at the state secretariat building today.
1. State exco (Local Government) Nga Kor Ming instructed Zakuan (Ketua Penolong SUK) to appoint all 342 local councillors with immediate effect.
2. 14 local councils are to swear in councillors latest by Wednesday in order to function properly.
3. 817 village chiefs have been issued letters to carry out their duties.
4. The Land Office has been instructed to issue freehold titles.
5. The Ipoh Central Bus project to proceed as planned.
6. The Sultan Azlan Shah Airport is to resume flights as soon as possible.
7. Parking fees are to be reduced to 30 sen as soon as possible.
8. The Premier University is slated to be launched in July 2009 with a groundbreaking ceremony and intake of 2,000 students.
9. Industries in Perak will be given a boost; Invest Perak to be more active in attracting investments.
10. Sukan Perak this year canceled with its allocation channeled towards districts sports level.
Ngeh also reportedly concluded the press conference with this promise: “We’ll redeem the three months wasted during Perak crisis.”