UMNO declare Cyber Warfare

Berita ni keluar 2 julai 2007, tapi aku baru nak letak kat sini. hurm tak tau apa nak jadi sekarang ni....

Umno recruiting team of writers to fight ‘cyber war’

KOTA KINABALU: Umno is set to do battle in cyberspace ahead of the anticipated general election by assembling a team of writers from every state to counter allegations about the party and its leadership on certain websites.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Azalina Othman Said said she had been recently tasked by party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take charge of this “cyber war.”

“This is among our key strategies in preparation for the elections. The other is getting our members to register as voters,” she said yesterday after opening the Kota Kinabalu Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings.

Azalina, the Youth and Sports Minister, said all state Umno liaison committees would be asked to identify writers willing to assist the party in this cause.

Warm welcome: Wanita Umno members greeting Syed Hamid at the Wanita Umno Kepong division meeting yesterday. With him are (from left) his wife Datin Seri Sharifah Aziah Syed Zainal Abidin and Wanita Umno Kepong division head and Wanita Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
However, she declined to explain how these writers would carry out their duties nor did she name the websites that had purportedly spread the allegations.

Earlier, in her speech when opening the Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings, Azalina said certain websites appeared to be stepping up their attacks against the country’s leaders.

“We need to counter these blatant lies. If we remain quiet, our worry is that some of our members and civil servants will be influenced by all these nonsense,” she added.

Azalina said she was aware that many party members liked visiting certain websites and could end up believing what was posted there.

On the other hand, she said, there was a tendency among opposition party members not to believe any negative report about their leaders.

“We want Umno members to support and defend their leaders. If they are sitting in a coffeeshop and hear others talking badly about the party leaders they should counter those lies immediately,” Azalina added.

In a related development, she said the opposition had resorted to moving their members and supporters to seats they were confident of winning in the coming polls.