Chua makes his first tweet

By NG SI HOOI and IVAN LOH
sihooi@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek made his first tweet, signalling to party members that the new media is the way to go to win friends and influence voters.

Signing up with the user name drchuaSL, he wrote on his Blackberry: “My first attempt on Twitter. Today I have a neck pain but still have to work due to many appointments.”

Minutes later, he made his second tweet: “I’m giving a PC on the new media. All MPs, ADUNs and CC members must be on Twitter.”

Tweet success: Dr Chua (seated, right) showing his first tweet at Wisma MCA Thursday. With him are Dr Wee (seated, left), (standing, from left) MCA deputy publicity bureau chief Loh Seng Kok , MCA Youth vice chairman Yit Lee Kok, Wanita MCA vice chairman Heng Seai Kie and Celcom Axiata Bhd chief marketing officer Chee Pok Jin.

Dr Chua signed up for his Twitter account on the spot during a press conference to announce a collaboration on the new media between the party and Celcom at Wisma MCA.

Speaking to reporters, he said MCA representatives and central committee members must be on the new media to counter any false information by the Opposition.

Admitting that the Opposition was strong on new media as well as better equipped to fight the media war, Dr Chua said: “You can say what you want in new media publicity. You can also spin a lot of half truths and non-truths. And the end result is, a lot of people believe what is written in the blog and Twitter.”

He said the new media was an important tool for communication, adding that of the 15 MPs and 32 state assemblymen representing the MCA, 70% had signed up on Twitter.

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service, which allows users to write up to 140 characters in one tweet.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who was also present, urged the people not to misuse the name of MCA founder Tun Tan Cheng Lock online.

“We have come across people using ‘Tun Tan Cheng Lock’ as their Twitter username and sending out all kinds of information.

“Please stop doing it and show respect to Tun Tan’s family,” he said.

In Ipoh, Dr Chua said MCA would not be able to survive and function as a political party if they lose badly in the next general election.

This was the grim reality if members and leaders do not work hard to get the people’s support, he said.

“We will become irrelevant and it will be hard to fight for the Chinese community,” he told Youth members during the Perak MCA Youth AGM here yesterday.