UMNO candidates who are inactive on social media could face difficulties securing a nomination for the upcoming Melaka state election, according to Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
The UMNO Malaysia War Room Secretariat chief said candidates’ social media activity would be among the factors considered during the selection process, alongside other established criteria.
He said prospective candidates should be able to use various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and X, as social media has become an important channel for engaging with voters.
“For our UMNO-BN candidates, when three names are submitted, those making the selection will certainly look at whether the candidates are active on social media or not.
“If they have no Facebook, no Instagram, no TikTok, no Threads and certainly no X, it will be very difficult to become a candidate,” he said at a press conference after the handover of a completed Public Works Department (JKR) project in Melaka to the Education Ministry at SMK Durian Tunggal today.
Ahmad said candidates must also meet the party’s “WALI” criteria — Winnable, Acceptable, Likeable and Integrity — while six other factors outlined under UMNO’s War Room formula would also be considered.
These factors include continuous grassroots activity, coordination among party machinery, selecting the strongest candidate, the use of data, voters’ sentiment, as well as funds and financial resources.
He said the UMNO-Barisan Nasional candidate selection process would go through three levels of screening — at the division and state levels, followed by the BN chairman, who is also UMNO president, together with a designated team.
Ahmad also highlighted Duyong assemblyman Datuk Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem as an example of a politician who has successfully used social media content to attract public attention.
He described the Duyong assemblyman as an “icon” among Malaysian politicians when it comes to social media, saying his previous viral content demonstrated how political figures could effectively use the platform to reach the public.
