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Posted on March 25, 2012, Sunday

MIRI: Barisan Nasional (BN) members here have been called on to use online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Datuk Sebastian Ting, political secretary to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, said social media is an excellent platform to share the governments messages and policies with the people.

Even the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) encourages the use of social networking websites because it is one of the ways for the government to be close to the people, he said during the Majlis Mesra Rakyat 1Malaysia organised by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) at Kampung Lereng Bukit on Friday night.

Although online sites are often used negatively against the government, Ting said they could also be utilised for good.

I hope that people can see Facebook and Twitter as something positive because the majority of Malaysians are actively involved in social networking websites.

We should seize this opportunity to create awareness among the people on various government policies and messages, he said.

Ting, who is Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) Piasau branch chairman, said party members should work to reach out to the people so that they could be of service at grassroots level. He invited the people to approach the party with any concerns or problems.

I hope we (BN members) can all collaborate together more aggressively to nurture trust among the younger generation towards Barisan Nasional.

We must not be too engrossed with past success but we need to work hard continuously, including by listening to the needs of the people. If we neglect all this or refuse to accept criticisms to develop further, the party will be at a loss, he stressed.

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BN should use social media to reach people – Ting

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Social networking sites are versatile vehicles for articulating views of a society or of sections of it. Thus politicians and other decision-makers cannot remain indifferent to views being posted on these sites. They need not always take the expressed opinions seriously but they cannot be ignored.

Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, has recently spoken about the problems being created by these sites for those who are responsible for governance. Speaking in Singapore on Wednesday, Mr Bloomberg said, Social media is going to make it even more difficult to make long term investments. Mr Bloomberg said this in the context of urban development and added, We are basically having a referendum on every single thing that we do every day. He pointed to the difficulty of taking a decision in the face of constant criticism and with the prospect of an election process looming. Before any comment is made on these views of the mayor of the Big Apple, it should be noted that he is no stranger to social media and is not hostile to it. He has his own Twitter account with a following of around 2,30,000.

Mr Bloomberg, intentionally or otherwise, may have hit upon one of the fundamental issues facing democratic governance. Social media have made democratic polities more accessible to direct interventions by the populace. Social media are as close as it is possible to get to vox populi, the holy grail of democracy.

In developing society, and even on occasions in the democratic world to which Mr Bloomberg belongs, modernizing projects cannot always ignore the opinion of those who see themselves as victims of the projects. To take an example with a contemporary resonance: Calcutta has many markets that are old and have outmoded electric wiring; these markets are a fire hazard. But any attempt to modernize them will entail closing them down for a period of time and that will result in the loss of livelihood for a number of people. No political leader dependent on the electoral process can risk taking such a decision unless he wants to be a martyr for a cause. To enable such a project a degree of coercion like in China, Singapore or in other parts of East and Southeast Asia may be needed. Development and democracy often do not intersect. Mr Bloomberg was perhaps drawing attention to this when he spoke of a daily referendum.

The mayors comments also pointed to a tension that lies at the heart of liberal political theory: between State and civil society. The rights and interests that constitute civil society are often in conflict with the power of the State. The emergence of social media has only heightened the tension because the networking sites offer a direct articulation of the views of civil society. Democracies, both at an intellectual and a practical level, have not addressed this problem. It is possible that Asian perspectives on the matter may differ from the Western one.

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Source: The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120324/jsp/opinion/story_15286606.jsp#.T22sKNVIvYQ)

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Social media heightened tension between State and civil society

In previous articles, we have discussed the importance of social media as a networking tool. In the business world, professional sites such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook and others provide useful platforms for networking and engaging substantively online with peers, recruiters and (hopefully) hiring managers.

A recent article in Forbes discussed the opportunities for networking from a business perspective. While the focus of the story is business to business, the principles are relevant to career- and job-search strategies. With so many people involved with social media for both professional and social reasons, the whole idea of social media as a viable, or even essential, career tool is quickly gaining credibility.

In this age of Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of other social-media sites, there has been an explosion of use by business and individuals whose interests are professional as well as social. A recent survey of workplace usage noted that more than half of respondents claimed to engage a social-networking site at work, while a smaller number admitted to using these sites on a daily basis while at work.

With a growing number of firms developing employee policies and engaging in business activity through these sites, the opportunities for both positive and negative interaction with such a network is huge.

For example, other surveys have confirmed the importance of sensitivity to content on the Web. In one survey, almost a third of the

Be careful, too, about what you say about previous employers or colleagues. One in five hiring managers told a CareerBuilder survey that they took exception to candidates badmouthing their previous company or fellow employees while 15 percent of candidates shot themselves in the foot by sharing confidential information from previous employers.

I counsel my clients to ensure they are up to date on what type or information about them is on the Internet, and to be extremely cautious when posting any potentially damaging or embarrassing material that may find its way around cyberspace. In addition, recruiters, hiring managers and HR professionals are doing a growing volume of Internet checks on candidates.

Once you're sure your personal data is up to date, totally appropriate and positioned to reflect a viable career strategy, the use of social networking can be a powerful aid.

Consultants sometimes make it appear a campaign launched on social media is rocket science. If they show you how you could do much of it yourself, why would you hire them? But it's not complex.

Go to Google and type the following keywords: (your product or industry keyword) "social network" (or instead of "social network," type "social media" or "forum"). See how many people are registered, are currently online or are replying to conversation threads. Read and gauge the quality of the conversations. Post a question to the forum or article, and use the responses to create useful content for that community. Link to your own website and to sites of the people or entities who inspired your own posts. Give others credit and they will be more likely to thank you by sharing your content with their networks.

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Using social media as a networking tool

Philadelphia Phillies' Hunter Pence is safe stealing second as New York Yankees second baseman Doug Bernier fields the throw during the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater, Fla., Friday, March 23, 2012.

Kathy Willens, Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. Hunter Pence's piercing blue eyes grow even wider when he hears the word playoffs.

Reaching the postseason is no longer a dream for Pence. It's an expectation.

When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired the two-time All-Star right fielder from Houston last July, Pence jumped from one of the worst teams in the majors to one of the best. He got his first taste of pennant fever, and wants more.

"Words can't describe how amazing it was," Pence said. "Losing in the first round was pretty painful, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Despite a franchise-record and major league-leading 102 wins, the Phillies lost in five games to eventual World Series champion St. Louis in the NL division series. It was a bitter disappointment for fans and everyone in the organization.

Winning five straight division titles and the 2008 World Series raised expectations to enormous levels in Philadelphia. Now, anything less than another championship isn't considered a success.

For some, that's pressure. For Pence, it's an adrenaline rush.

"It's very exciting," he said. "It's a great time to be a part of this organization. It's great from the top down. The fans are incredible and in this clubhouse, the expectations are to win a World Series. You couldn't ask for more."

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Pence excited about Phils' expectations

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Soul singer Erykah Badu said Wednesday she holds no grudge against Malaysia's government for barring her from performing after a photograph of her body art offended some Muslims.

More than 1,500 people had bought tickets to watch the Grammy-winning American singer at a Kuala Lumpur auditorium Wednesday, but Malaysia's information minister announced on the eve of the concert that it could not proceed because a promotional photo of Badu with the Arabic word for Allah painted on her bare shoulders was "an insult to Islam."

"It's sad, because we traveled a long way," Badu told a news conference. "But I'm totally understanding of (the minister's) protection of the laws and its people. He doesn't want anything to happen. I'm good with that."

The photograph ignited criticism from some politicians and religious groups in Muslim-majority Malaysia after a newspaper published it Monday in a feature to promote Badu's show. The daily has since apologized for what it called an "oversight" that led to the photo's publication.

Badu, 41, said the photo was inspired by images from "The Holy Mountain," a 1973 surrealist movie by Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky.

"I think art is often misunderstood in the realm of religion, and it's OK," she said. "In America, it's a lot different. Art is also misunderstood but it is not such a harsh gesture to promote the names of God. I am learning and understanding about Islam in other countries more as we travel."

Information Minister Rais Yatim said Malaysia's Cabinet endorsed the ban Wednesday. Police feared that if the concert went ahead, it could cause "various situations that may lead to social excitement, and quarrels may break out due to religious sensitivities," the national news agency, Bernama, quoted the minister as saying.

Public reaction to the concert ban has been divided. On Twitter, many Malaysians, including Muslims, accused the government of intolerance, but others praised authorities for being firm about defending religious principles.

Badu said she would "absolutely" welcome another chance to perform in Malaysia someday. She is scheduled to sing at a jazz festival this weekend in Jakarta, the capital of neighboring Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

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Erykah Badu sad but not angry over Malaysian ban