Manek Urai: To Blog or not to Blog, that is the question for UMNO

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I was surfing this morning and about ready to blog about an issue but stumbled into this posting by Cucu Tok Selampit here.

He was talking about PAS negative campaigning on the Internet. I am wondering whether UMNO has prepared or done anything about it.

In a tough fight to crawl up, the inches are everywhere to make the differences between winning and losing. Does not UMNO campaigner realised the need to answer the Interney attack?

Cucu Tok Selampit highlighted that PAS has already began a negative campaigning on BN's announced candidate Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, the Ketua Pemuda for Kuala Krai.

Malaysiakini cleverly exposed allegation of corruption and unaccountable opulent lifestyle of candidate but used Tuan Aziz's denial as introductory piece. Subsequently, it flourish to blog posting like this here.

My friend, Bakaq of Penarik Beca already put up stories of cah keting within UMNO Kuala Krai from the Malaysiakini report. Bakaq is one of the prominent blogger promoted by blogger Shieh of Kickdefella during the "Blogger United revolution" of 2007 reacting to the lawsuit by New Straits Times against Rocky Bru and Jeff Ooi.

Let me not deny that the clash of UMNO warlords at Kuala Krai is legendary. UMNO Information Chief, Dato Ahmad Maslan can't blame me doing a cah keting on UMNO. I am nt quite sure now. Last heard was none.

Finally, Cucu Tok Selampit linked a subtle posting here on the responsibility of a Wakil Rakyat.

PAS has already put up several blogs dedicated to Manek Urai and all I see on Penggabung Suara, a prominent pro-UMNO Blog Aggregator is two personal initiatives blogs, both named Bicara Manek Urai but one run by a panelist of bloggers and another by Piggy Singh.

The blogs serve their own specific clientele of readers. The two of them can't be sufficiently effective. It is not regularly updated or minimal campaign communicative value. Others is needed to compliment them.

UMNO did not do too bad though. PAS also has two blogs dedicated to Manek Urai here and here.

Nevertheless, the fact is PAS and Pakatan Rakyat has more bloggers campaigning for Manek Urai. For that one pro-UMNO dedicated Aggregator, Penggabung Suara with 422 urls, PAS has several Blog Aggregators - Malaysiakita, Malaysiakita (BM), No2UMNO, and others not known. Its scary to add the list of url there.

There are two Kelantan Blog Aggregators dedicated for Kelantan - Direktori Bloggers Kelantan (469 url) and Kelantan Bloggers (235 url). Although it is not dedicated to Socio-Politics, the opposition and pro-opposition bloggers already made their presence there but too few pro-UMNO bloggers.

Basically PAS and Pakatan Rakyat have got their communication message and propaganda online. UMNO have yet to get started.

The so-called pro-UMNO bloggers on Penggabung Suara include current and former journolist and writers. They may not be quite you call pro-UMNO for they may take an independent stand.

Perhaps UMNO feel Internet and cyber campaign is not quite relevent for rural Manek Urai. The number of urban-based Manek Urai voters may not be that significant.

Remember that those few urban returning, educated and Internet savvy voters have an influencing effect on the opinion of their kinfolks. The Internet updated urban PAS campaigner going there will have some familiarity with Manek Urai to do their work. So Internet have it's limited role.

The real game is made on the ground. The direct contact between candidate and campaigners with voters, speaking directly to them, and winning their hearts is where it really matters.

The thing is this. UMNO have acknowledged new media but if they decide to abandon new media and not try out in Manek Urai, it will be lost opportunity to get on the learning curve.

There are sufficient number of experianced UMNO cyber players to lead UMNO's presence on the Internet. Unfortunately, they are not acknowledged and brought in the planning and organisation. They are merely sought after for views but not given leading and key roles.

Those leading the various teams and efforts to establshed UMNO's Internet presence are not players. It would not be a surprise that some can't open an e-mail, let alone have their own blog.

It is certainly difficult for this establshed players to work under novice commanders who will not earn their respect.

All this leads to UMNO's seriousness to actually engage in the new media. The new media maybe the tail end population of the communication demography but here lies the few million critical new young voters. UMNO leadership is aware of this.

But the problem is they are likely set in their old ways of doing things. The way is usually bureaucratic and it will not work with the cyber activist. They may have not realised, but their acknowledgement of new media is turning out to rhetorical.

To blog or not to Blog, that is the question for UMNO. But this blogger will soldier on.