The use of TikTok in legislative campaigns: a comparative analysis between Indonesia and Malaysia

The evolution of the Internet and social media has significantly diversified modern campaign models. TikTok, a popular social media platform, has emerged as a prominent tool in the campaigns for the GE-15 and 2024 elections. Legislative candidates are using TikTok as a digital campaign medium to establish their brand, introduce themselves, and disseminate information to voters, especially the younger demographic. This study seeks to compare the use of TikTok by legislative candidates in Indonesia and Malaysia. Using a qualitative approach with a meta-analysis method, this research collects data by examining previous studies and relevant mass media articles. The findings show that legislative candidates in both Indonesia and Malaysia are actively using TikTok as a digital campaign platform to engage a wide range of voters. Nevertheless, there are some differences such as the target audience, time period, and parties intention. Given the short-form nature of TikTok, candidates need to effectively condense their campaign activities into video formats.