Alleged plot to target DAP and save former PM from being sent to jail.
Penang’s Pakatan Harapan leaders lodged several police reports today over an article on the Umno Online Facebook page alleging that DAP wants Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik to be replaced by his deputy, Teo Nie Ching.
Seri Delima rep Syerleena Abdul Rashid said the allegation, being spread through Facebook was an offence according to Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and Section 499/500 of the Penal Code for defamation.
“DAP did not make such a demand,” she said in a statement. “Umno is using hatred and stirring racial sentiments to propagate fear.
“Using methods to divide component parties within Pakatan Harapan (PH) is just another divide and conquer tactic. The opposition should stop disrupting unity in PH by posting false and fake news.”
Syerleena, who made a report at the Timur Laut police headquarters in George Town, said Jawi assemblyman Jason H’ng and Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy would be lodging further reports on the mainland today.
“This is a serious issue and I hope the police as well as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will take immediate action,” she added.
Maszlee is from the Malay-based Bersatu while Teo is from DAP, a predominantly Chinese party that has been accused by Umno as being anti-Malay and anti-Islam for decades.
The article, titled ‘DAP desak Mahathir pecat Dr Maszlee, lantik Teo Nie Cheng jadi Menteri Pendidikan’ (DAP pushes Mahathir to sack Dr Maszlee, appoint Teo Nie Ching as Education Minister), was first posted on the blog kulihatlangitbiru.com on Monday.
It said that all DAP members nationwide were working hard to sign a petition to get Maszlee to resign and that the petition had collected close to 60,000 signatures.
It also said DAP was forcing Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to sack Maszlee, who is seen by DAP as failing to do his job because he is pro-Malay.
The article also said that if Maszlee resigns, Teo would take over his post by default. A photo of DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang was also included in the article.
Umno Online shared the article on its Facebook page on Monday and the story has since gone viral.
Jelutong Bersatu division chief Omar Abdullah, Penang Amanah Youth leader Ghazali Mohamed Ismail and Bukit Gelugor PKR division deputy chief Amir Rudin Abdul Rahman said their DAP colleagues were right to lodge the reports.
Omar said Umno Online “cukup melampau” (has gone too far) with its actions to disrupt harmony in PH in its bid to confuse the people with false information and manipulation of facts.
Ghazali also slammed Umno for using lies, and racial and religious sentiments to create disunity among the people and PH.
He also urged the authorities to use the full force of the law to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Meanwhile, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang claimed that Umno’s cybertroopers have launched an online assault against DAP to cause the downfall of PH on the instructions of Najib Razak.
According to The Malaysian Insight, Lim said he has seen WhatsApp messages from Najib and Umno Psy-War HQ to cybertroopers not only to target DAP but also to save former prime minister from being sent to the jail.
According to Lim, the WhatsApp message read:
“Orders from HQ, please make sure that all postings are focused on DAP. If possible, use your creativity to tie it up with the issue of race and religion.
“According to messages from our intel, there will be more exposes on misappropriation (of funds) involving Umno members that will be surfacing. We will counter this by linking it to DAP. Make sure the team is focused on DAP, no matter what the issue is.”
The evidence substantiates his prediction two days ago that a new game plan by Najib, Jho Low and Umno Psy-War High Command is in the works, Lim said in a statement.
The opposition party’s aim is to cause PH to break up and save the “Malaysian kleptocratic duo” from being held accountable for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal by magnifying the purported cracks in PH, the DAP stalwart said.
He added that this is done by highlighting rifts and the division between PH component parties and politicians as well as linking them to racial or religious conflicts.
He accused the opposition of running out of ideas and tactics after their strategies “ran out of steam” and now resorting to such a plan.
Its latest tactic, Lim said, is to target DAP and paint a picture of race and religious conflict within the PH.
He said within an hour after making a statement on Monday, he came across two websites posting “lies” implicating DAP as being pushy in the PH coalition.
Despite immediately clearing the air on the postings, Lim said the articles were posted on Umno Online.
He also reminded PH leaders to be alert of this new cyberwar tactics so that they will not fall victims to such “diabolical politics”.