‘Kau dan Aku’: The Othering Perspectives in Digital Hate Speech, Fandom Rivalries and Hashtag Activism in Malaysia

Abstract

This chapter examines the complex interplay between digital hate speech, fandom rivalries and the construction of knowledge and power on social media within Malaysia. Utilising a Foucauldian theoretical framework, which focuses on the dynamics of power and knowledge, it investigates how hashtags such as #TablighCluster and #KlusterTabligh have highlighted societal divisions during significant national events. Through systematic data mining of X/Twitter repositories, the study reveals the mechanisms through which hate-laden narratives proliferate, transforming innocuous hashtags into anchors for exclusionary rhetoric targeting marginalised communities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It interrogates the power dynamics within these digital discourses and demonstrates how entrenched knowledge–power structures were contested and dismantled. The findings contribute to understanding social media’s role in amplifying divisive narratives and fostering collective resistance, emphasising the need for more inclusive online spaces in Malaysia’s pluralistic society and suggesting avenues for future research.