Tok Mat 'blames TikTok' for Umno's failure in Sabah, call on Puteri to lead digital fight

KUALA LUMPUR - Umno’s weak digital engagement, particularly among young voters, has been cited as a key factor behind the party’s poor performance in recent elections, prompting renewed calls for a stronger online strategy.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the party’s showing in the Sabah election highlighted serious shortcomings in its digital outreach.

“Sabah taught us one thing — we lost on TikTok,” he said.

Mohamad said Puteri Umno must take the lead as the party’s digital front line, focusing on data intelligence, online engagement and shaping perceptions among young voters.

“Your battlefield is on phone screens. I want Puteri to become a data intelligence unit,” he said.

He urged the wing to actively engage young Malaysians in colleges, universities and digital spaces, while prioritising youth-focused issues such as mental health and fair wages.

Earlier today, Umno Information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said proposed the formation of a dedicated digital wing as part of the party’s institutional structure to strengthen its social media presence ahead of elections.

Speaking at the Digital Era in Politics Symposium 2026 held in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly, Azalina said the digital wing should be formalised rather than activated only during by-elections or general elections.

She said political communication is no longer confined to physical ceramah, noting that Malay voters have shifted from Facebook to TikTok as the party’s primary digital battleground.

Azalina also warned that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and deepfake videos pose serious risks to political integrity, particularly during by-elections and the 16th General Election (GE16).

She added that Umno’s main weakness lies at the grassroots level, stressing that weak digital machinery at branch and divisional levels could undermine the credibility of candidates at both state and federal levels.