The Evolution of Crisis Communications In Sabah: From Traditional Media to Social Media Dominance and its Implications for PRN17

Abstract

Crisis communication in Sabah’s electoral politics has evolved substantially with the convergence of traditional media, digital platforms and interpersonal communication networks. PRN17, the 2025 Sabah state election, presents a significant case for understanding how crises manifest in a political environment shaped by real-time information flows, viral user-generated content and heightened public emotion. This study examines crisis communication across the pre-election, election-day and post-election phases of PRN17, analysing interactions among political actors, the Election Commission (EC), mainstream media, influencers and ordinary citizens. Using the Social-Mediated Crisis Communication (SMCC) model, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and the Integrated Crisis Mapping (ICM) framework alongside localised insights into Sabah’s media ecology, this study identifies a marked shift toward a hybrid crisis communication model. Findings show that traditional media continue to function as verification anchors, yet social media now dominate crisis emergence and public interpretation. Citizen documentation and influencer engagement accelerated misinformation risks while simultaneously enabling rapid narrative correction. Sabah’s cultural context that particularly interpersonal trust networks and long-standing sentiment regarding state autonomy has further shaped crisis dynamics. These elements intensified in the aftermath of PRN17 when GRS’s openness to working with a Peninsular-based party, despite earlier commitments to maintain a local-based coalition, triggered widespread digital debate and perceptions of expectancy violation across platforms. This extended the crisis beyond election night into the coalition formation period. The study concludes that crisis communication in Sabah has matured into a hybrid system requiring agile, emotionally attuned and multi-channel strategies grounded in local socio-political realities. Future electoral crises will demand sustained engagement across traditional media, digital environments and interpersonal networks to maintain trust, stability and democratic legitimacy.