incumbent Barisan Nasional managed only 30 seats. The “Malay Green Wave”234 marks a shift among young Malay voters who have decided to rally behind the PN Coalition, particularly drawn to the hardline stance of PAS, where voters have prioritized leaders who position themselves as defenders of Islam more so than focusing on any other issue.235 This led to PAS’s influence soaring, doubling its parliamentary seats and causing stocks in gaming and alcohol to slump due to their advocacy for their interpretation of ‘sharia law’ and push for the coerced conversion of minors to Islam.236 A KEY ACTOR IN THIS EFFORT WAS BERSATU.TV, A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT THAT CLAIMED TO BE THE OFFICIAL MEDIA PLATFORM OF BERSATU (A PARTY WITHIN THE PN COALITION). THE ACCOUNT SPREAD FALSE INFORMATION, SUCH AS THE IDEA THAT THE ROHINGYA ARE CALLING FOR EQUALITY WITH MALAY CITIZENS. Simultaneously, in 2020, the PN, led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, played a central role in driving the surge of xenophobia against refugees, particularly the Rohingya. During COVID-19, PN capitalized on the crisis by focusing on anti-Rohingya narratives through coordinated online campaigns. A key actor in this effort was Bersatu.tv, a social media account that claimed to be the official media platform of BERSATU (a party within the PN coalition). The account spread false information, such as the idea that the Rohingya are calling for equality with Malay citizens. On April 30, 2020, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin declared that the Malaysian government does not recognize the refugee status of any group, including the Rohingyas. Social media accounts such as Malaysians Against Illegal Immigrants fabricated and manipulated videos to portray the Rohingyas as a threat to Malaysia’s stability.237 234 This refers to the PAS flag, which is green. Green has been associated with different Islamist parties. 235 Kok, Yewfai. (2024). The Malay Green Tsunami: Young Malay Voters and the Perikatan Nasional Coalition. Singapore: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TRS12_24.pdf 236 Focus Malaysia (2022). Federal Constitution’s English Translation Dismays Hadi. Focus Malaysia. https://focusmalaysia.my/hadi-dismayed-by-federal-constitutions-english-translation/ 237 Ong, Jules Rahman. (2020). Campaign of Hate? Fake News and Anti-Refugee Rhetoric in Malaysia. New Naratif. 20 June. https://newnaratif.com/campaign-of-hate-fake-news-and-anti-refugee-rhetoric-in-malaysia/ 64