Segamat BN machinery uses whatsapp to approach voters
By Ahmad Muliady Abdul Majid
SEGAMAT, May 1 (Bernama) -- In keeping with the times, political parties have now turned to sending whatsapp messages as the way to campaign and garner votes.
In Segamat, members of the Barisan Nasional machinery have started whatsapp groups to reach out to the voters in the town.
"Other than going from house to house, we also use whatsapp groups as a way to campaign and send the latest information to voters, and this way has been well-received by the people, " Segamat UMNO division Wanita chief, Puspa Hairani Hasaan, told Bernama recently, adding that the whatsapp groups were started by members of the Jalinan Rakyat (JR) and JR Plus squads.
She added that through the whatsapp groups, the machinery could contact the 55,350 voters in the constituency, including those in the outskirts, thus saving time.
However, Puspa said, the traditional method of going from house to house was still used to get close to the voters.
Puspa, 54, said the division had 6,300 JR and JR Plus members from 50 branches in Segamat, with each JR responsible for looking after 30 voters.
Meanwhile, the Segamat MIC division machinery also used the same approach to reach Indian voters.
Its treasurer T.Shanmugam, 45, said six whatsapp groups had been started for this purpose, for the Gemas Baharu, Batu Anam, Buluh Kasap, Bandar Segamat and Jementah zones, as well as for MIC youth to get to the 5,583 Indian voters in Segamat.
"This way, we can provide the latest information faster and more effectively, and the public are more comfortable getting the latest development through this medium," he said.
BN candidate for the Jementah state seat, Chiam Yoke Meng, a new face, said he also used the whatsapp as a way to reach the people of the constituency.
"Besides meeting them face-to-face, I also use the whatsapp. This way, the voters can reach me, at whatever time, and I can get back to them within a short period of time, " said the 51-year-old MCA candidate.
-- BERNAMA
