squeak. speak. roar!

This is the first official opposition website if I’ve ever seen one :)

Portal Pembangkang Selangor. Click for full screen cap.

Firstly, I think it is a brilliant idea. It is actually the first ’shadow’ state assembly exco website set up and I think Khir Toyo deserves brownie points for this. More so if this was his idea. You see, when it comes to opposition politics in Malaysia during pre-Pakatan Rakyat days, the main criticisms against them was their inability to get their act together to form an alternative government. So each of their websites were catered to their own members and propounded their own ideologies rather than being an effective shadow machinery showing they they can do better.

So this opposition website, that actually lists down the shadow opposition all the way down to the portfolio and committee, is truly a breath of fresh air. All I can think of is how this will go far and wide amongst BN and Pakatan folks to counter allegations with prove all laid out in their website for the people to judge. Oh what wealth of information on the internet that we can gorge on!

But wait there! We are talking about BARISAN NASIONAL. Their manifesto website - as impressive as it looks - has hardly been updated since it was LAUNCHED on March 6. Well, putting in sporadic news from mainstream papers is not exactly updating anyway since all they are doing is parroting the press (oddly enough, from The Star as opposed to the NST!). There is their blog (again oddly, only in the English version of the site) which is apparently ghostwritten. So yes, that in my books is as good as a dead site because it has absolutely nothing new. All it has is static information when the internet community demands for updates laden with alternative views and hard-fitting facts. So much like the manifesto site, the Selangor opposition portal is empty with seven broken links out of 10 links available. The only content it had right now is Balkis Balkis Balkis. I balked at that poorly maintained opposition site and went back to my pre-concieved notions that BN needs serious consultation with web communicators, PRs and well, bloggers :)

Call me lah, BN and Selangor opposition. I’ll show you how to market your policies and ideas online much better than what you’re doing now :P I promise I won’t subcontract out. Email me! :)