The future of campaigning? Johor election becomes Malaysian politics biggest generative AI test bed

JOHOR BAHRU, July 3 — The Johor state election is becoming Malaysia’s biggest test bed for generative AI.

As 2.7 million voters prepare to head to the polls on July 11, political teams from Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN), and Parti Bersama Malaysia are increasingly replacing traditional production with AI-generated anthems, social media posts, and rally planning.

For campaign teams, the shift is driven by speed and cost, The Straits Times reported. Adib Aiman, a PH content creator who has generated hundreds of songs using the AI music generator Suno, noted the efficiency of the transition.

“It’s really fast and doesn’t cost much. Most of the tools are even free,” he said.

“In the past, we’d carry laptops, cameras and look for power sockets... Now we just use our phones.”

BN has similarly embraced the tech, deploying retro synth-pop anthems and candidate theme songs. While these tracks are polished, they often leave a minimal digital footprint, with some credited to automatically generated placeholders via music distributors.

This democratisation of content has allowed smaller parties to compete.

Farhan Iqbal, helping with the Bersama campaign, used AI assistant Claude to map rally routes and Suno for the party's anthem. He likened the process to using pre-made ingredients.

“It’s like I am still the one cooking but instead of buying meat and grinding it myself, I just use store-bought ground meat.”

However, the surge in AI adoption has disrupted the livelihoods of creative professionals. Segamat-based composer Irwan Hashim, who once produced music for over 50 brands, has seen his market collapse.

“A 30-second commercial jingle once cost between RM4,500 and RM9,000... Today, AI-generated songs can be commissioned for RM500 – or as little as RM99,” he said.

“AI has really killed the market.”

Beyond the economics, industry veterans warn of a loss of soul in political messaging. Lyricist Norkhayati Mohd Hashim, known as Baiduri, argued that while AI is convenient, it “lacks creativity, emotion, experience and human touch.”

These concerns extend to the health of the democracy itself. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has already had to address AI-generated content targeting the monarchy, and leaders have expressed worry over the potential for slander and misinformation.

Harris Zainul, research director at the Centre of Responsible Technology (ISIS Malaysia), cautioned that the "collapse" of the barrier to producing convincing content puts a premium on political maturity.

While noting AI is a boon for resource-strapped parties, Harris said it could blow back on candidates.

“Politics is as much about the heart as it is about the mind,” Zainul said.

“Having something be computer-generated, however polished, will never match the appeal of content made by real people.”