Jailed Najib Still King Of Malaysia’s Political Social Media Scene
Najib leads Malaysia’s political social media race, outpacing even active leaders in a digital popularity contest that doesn’t always mirror the ballot box.
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Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak remains Malaysia’s most followed political figure, according to a study by Ilham Centre.
The analysis, which aggregates followers across six major social media platforms — Facebook, YouTube, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads — found that the currently incarcerated politician leads with over 9 million followers, significantly ahead of other political figures.
In second place is former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is set to turn 101 this July, with 8,111,800 followers compared to Najib’s 9,348,200.
“Based on total follower count, Najib Razak ranks first with 9.35 million followers, making him the most dominant political figure on Malaysian social media.
“His strength is particularly evident on Facebook (4.6 million) and X (3.2 million), indicating strong influence among the politically engaged and older audiences,” the Ilham Centre post stated.
The study, conducted on May 18, added that despite facing significant political and legal challenges, Najib’s political brand continues to demonstrate strong digital appeal and sustained online traction.
Najib is currently serving a prison sentence over the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, although speculation about a possible early release has recently surfaced.
In third place, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim leads among active politicians, with a combined following of 7,904,400. Despite ranking third overall, Ilham Centre noted that Anwar performs consistently well across all platforms.
“His notable strength on TikTok (1.2 million) and X (1.9 million) reflects his effectiveness in engaging younger and urban audiences,” the study noted.
Syed Saddiq: King of the Young
Two figures closely associated with younger voters, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, rank fourth and fifth respectively.
Khairy’s position is particularly notable given his relative absence from mainstream politics following his electoral defeat to Datuk Seri R. Ramanan in the last general election.
Nevertheless, he has maintained a strong public presence through mainstream media, including his role as a radio DJ on Hot FM and as co-host of the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast alongside Shahril Hamdan, another young political figure currently suspended by UMNO.
Muhyiddin Still Relevant
Within the opposition bloc, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remains the most followed leader.
Ranked sixth overall, Muhyiddin has 3,755,401 social media followers, far ahead of PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who sits in tenth place with 1,970,700 followers.
Muhyiddin’s ally, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, ranks 12th with 1,635,730 followers, followed closely by Perikatan Nasional chairman and newly appointed opposition leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar with 1,286,100 followers. PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man is ranked 14th with 918,400 followers.
Former opposition leader and expelled Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin ranks 18th with 614,258 followers.
However, these figures do not necessarily translate into electoral support; rather, they reflect the level of engagement and popularity each figure commands on social media.
Ilham Centre concluded that Malaysia’s social media remains an important digital asset for politicians to assert their influence.
“The trend suggests that the future of digital politics in Malaysia will no longer hinge on dominance over a single platform, but on the ability of political figures to build a balanced, relevant presence across multiple social media channels tailored to different voter demographics.”
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