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| Abstract : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris |
| Political cyber-troopers is a term that refers to activists paid to spread political propaganda in the media. The emergence of the cyber-troopers movement was seen to be significant in the 12th General Election and became more active in the 14th Election. In line with this development, the issue of political cyber-troopers began to gain the attention of scholars who studied its existence and role in the political context in Malaysia. However, studies on defining the term politics cyber-troopers are still limited. Thus, this term is equated with netizens and keyboard warriors. The lack of a suitable definition to describe cyber-troopers in Malaysia causes a negative stigma in the community. Therefore, this study analyses the definition and typology of political cyber-troopers in Malaysia using the conceptual framework of political astroturfing. This study uses qualitative methods through interview instruments with ten informants consisting of academics, cyber-troopers and political activists, and library research. Based on thematic analysis, the findings define cyber-troopers as intermediaries between political leaders and people, hired to shape public perception via social media. Various typologies of cyber-troopers identified, such as those using fake accounts for anonymity, receiving wages, and manipulating news on social media. This study has developed a conceptual framework and political typology of cyber-troopers in Malaysia to understand their roles better. This study is expected to create public awareness and understanding of the emergence of political cyber-troopers in this country. 2023, Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved. |
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