Pakar saran model ‘hub-and-spoke’ tangani cabaran komunikasi kerajaan

A Malaysian expert is advocating for the government to adopt a 'hub-and-spoke' model for communication with the public, according to a wire service report. Success in communication should be measured by whether the public sees, understands, trusts, and knows how something affects their lives, according to the expert. The senior communication and media studies lecturer at the University of Technology Malaysia (UiTM), Shifa Faizal, believes a hybrid model is more likely, combining centralization in strategy and decentralization in execution and dissemination.

Centralizing strategy but decentralizing communication and engagement is easier, he said, with one goal for the government but many trusted voices to deliver it. This view follows veteran political commentator Tian Chua's criticism of the government's communication weakness, which still relies on the old format. Former PKR deputy president and Penang MP Tian reportedly said, in the Malaysia Gazette, that communication responsibility shouldn't be carried 100% by the communications minister or spokesperson today.

At the PKR national congress in Melaka, Fahmi Fadzil apologized to critics for his performance as spokesperson and minister, according to Malaysiakini. Shifa notes that while decentralization elements exist, such as corporate communication units, public relations officers, social media, and individual communication channels, the question isn't just about building a new decentralized structure but how much autonomy, ability, and strategic direction the existing structure should have to function effectively.

Syahruddin Awang Ahmad from Universiti Malaysia Sabah also supports a hub-and-spoke model, suggesting a centralized approach for crisis management, strategic alignment, narrative consistency, and ensuring quality, while giving the Communications Ministry autonomy to respond rapidly to social media content. However, he adds that the main weakness of the existing structure might be response delays, the risk of flawed judgments from multiple sources, and strict adherence to protocols that hinder timely digital news updates.

Shifa explains that even if the government produces hundreds of communication materials, if the public still doesn't understand what's being communicated or why something is being introduced, there's a gap between information dissemination and communication effectiveness.