In November last year, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, anointing 2,000 social media practitioners who attended it as the new army of UMNO/Barisan Nasional cyber-warriors.
Since then, about 10 social media conventions had been held in different states as part of the programme to raise an army of over 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers in advance of the 13th General Election.
As the Minister for Information, Communication and Culture, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim exhorted at the launch of the Selangor edition last month, the Umno/BN cybertroopers should “counter all the slander that has been happening on line”.
He continued: “If people keep tweeting that ‘Bersih is bersih’, people will believe that the movement is genuine. Tweet back and start saying that Bersih is ‘kotor’ (dirty).”
Najib should explain why public funds should be spent to help raise an army of over 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers in advance of the 13th General Election, whether through the Biro Tatanegara (BTN) or the 1Malaysia Secretariat.
Malaysians taxpayers are also entitled to know how much public money had been spent on each of the 1Malaysia Social Media Conventions since November last year to help raise the army of over 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers, particularly under the guise of the Prime Minister’s Jelajah Janji Di-Tepati programme.
Malaysians are equally concerned that Najib’s 1Malaysia Social Media Conventions to raise an army of over 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers have proven to be most anti-national as they are held in utter disregard of the 1Malaysia objective to create an united, harmonious and ethical Malaysian society.
This was amply illustrated by the social media convention organized by BTN and 1Malaysia Social Media Convention Secretariat on Saturday where the Utusan Malaysia deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan openly propagated the dishonest and unethical journalistic practice of spinning lies and even blatant lies as fact and truth!
This is what Utusan had been most guilty of in the past three years of Najib premiership, blatantly and unrepentantly disseminating lies and falsehoods as facts and truth, whether in the recent case front-paging the baseless report that DAP would contest 90 of the 222 parliamentary seats in the 13GE to dominate Pakatan Rakyat and appoint the Prime Minister in the 13th general election as part of an insidious and diabolical campaign to stoke racial suspicion, distrust and fear or the earlier instances when alleging that the DAP wanted to establish a Christian Malaysia and appoint a Christian Prime Minister or establish a republic and abolish the monarchical system.
Although the Malaysiakini reporter, Ahmad Fadli Kc who reported Zaini’s speech was subsequently chased out of the Social Media Convention, it was for truthfully reporting what the Utusan deputy chief editor said and not because of any misreporting.
This is why neither Zaini, BTN or 1Malaysia Social Media Convention Secretariat had denied the accuracy of Zaini’s message, that “Spinning to attack the opposition is okay” with Utusan’s example of “spinning” to include the dissemination of the most blatant and downright lies and falsehoods.
I have heard the recording of Zaini’s speech at the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention and I can confirm that what Ahmad Fadli Kc reported is true and accurate reporting.
In this connection, Rais should explain why the so-called 1Malaysia Social Media Convention had at times taken on the character of being 1Malay – totally against the 1Malaysia objective.
At the Selangor Social Media Convention last month, for instance, Rais said that Malays must unite for a Barisan Nasional (BN) win in the upcoming general election to ensure their rights are not taken away by the opposition.
Rais said Malays “must understand who they are” and “know their rights”.
He said: “The reason we lost so many seats in the 2008 election is because the Malays have forgotten themselves.
“For a community to stay in power, they must understand politics of numbers, which states when many come together, we can determine something.”
Nobody would be surprised if Rais had said this at an UMNO event where UMNO leaders take inspiration from the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyhiddin Yassin instead of the Prime Minister, in rubbishing the 1Malaysia signature policy, in particular Muhyiddin’s example in declaring that he is Malay first and Malaysian second!
Isn’t the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention a misnomer when Rais used the occasion to virtually declare his allegiance to Muhyiddin’s “Malay first, Malaysian second” stand and dissociate from the 1Malaysia policy?
LKS, what cybertroopers?
The crux of the matter is, “What can they write about?”.
Malaysians already know the truth about the mountains of baggage the UMNO/BN so-called “leaders” are hefting!
Even the whole world knows!
So, all these anointed “troopers” will make fools of themselves and write nonsense that will fly in the face of facts.
Although it’s a completely waste of taxpayers’ money, these “troopers” are in fact helping the cause of the opposition.
How?
By further angering the electorate and keep reminding them to give the boot to UMNO/BN.
So, when the GE comes round, they will give them as resounding a kick in their butt as possible.
The following quote said it all!
“Tell me, which UMNO leader does not have problem?”
– end of quote
This is an irresponsible government which uses taxpayers’ money to divide the people.
NST 16th July report – Premier told youths in the launch of “I am for you (im4u), we are for you, the youth of today and the youth of tomorrow” that a RM100 million fund would be allocated to provide seed money to give young volunteers a head start in their volunteerism efforts. On another matter the govt is also allocating RM1.4 billion this year for the Program Kebajikan Rakyat 1Malaysia (Kar1sma) to improve the lot of urban/rural poor. He will be spending an unquantified amount to raise an army of over 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers in advance of the 13th General Election. They’re throwing so much money – its no joke. For losing the 13 GE is not an option at all! It is apparent that they will never allow this to happen, whatever it takes and whatever the costs!
Remember who said this : ”We must defend Putrajaya at all cost” ?
It gives a deep insight as to what the speaker intends to do and will do till his time runs out. Money will not be an issue.
p/s Is the wife shopping in Milan or visiting an inmate and potential in-law in Dubai ?
At the Selangor Social Media Convention last month, for instance, Rais said that Malays must unite for a Barisan ///Nasional (BN) win in the upcoming general election to ensure their rights are not taken away by the opposition.
Rais said Malays “must understand who they are” and “know their rights”.
He said: “The reason we lost so many seats in the 2008 election is because the Malays have forgotten themselves.///–the author
It seems that Rais tried to say that Malays have more rights than others. That is seditious. Can DAP make a police report to investigate Rais Yatim?
While the public has to be made aware of this, I would not worry too much. The fact of the matter there is no amount of resources that will sustainably sell bad content on the internet. In fact resorting to such techniques exposed to all to see only quickens the demise of such bad content.
Only an idiot like Rias Yatim can advice Malaysia to THINK “Bersih is Dirty”
Najib and all his ministers have lost their bearings.
It’s like nuts without ball bearings.
When are some of these 10,000 Umno/BN cybertroopers coming to “counter all the slander that has been happening on line” in this blog???
LKS has a very good firewall and moderator. It knows all the cyber-troopers. I get moderated all the time when there is a word containing ‘a.s’ such as ‘mas.ive’, ‘as.emblyman’ etc. So never fear. There will be no attack here.
Of course its a waste of resources for any of the 10,000 cyber warriors to come to this Opposition blog and try convert those whose minds are already made up. They are better deployed to persuade and manipulate the fence sitters. When it is said that UMNO must re-invent to politically survive, the re-invention has nothing to do with re-inventing its race ideology – which after 50 years is very much (actually) intensified rather than watered down, 1 Malaysia notwithstanding – but the ways by which political messages of this ideology are disseminated to manipulate and control the minds of those on whom it relies for voting support and political legitimacy. They know they cannot depend on the controlled printed media and traditional censorship alone for political propaganda as they did in the past: a large segment of mass media now is social media – television, online blogs, tweets- which is a significant medium to communicate its ‘Ketuanan’ messages and to counter those who oppose its continuance of rule. Hence the need to engage 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers in advance of the 13th General Election!
As to what truth the 10,000 pro UMNO cyber warriors can write/tweet about – who really cares? It’s a triumph of hope over logic to think the masses can sift the wheat of truth over the chaff of misinformation and lies if skillfully skewed ala what Zaini said. On the remark “If people keep tweeting that ‘Bersih is bersih’, people will believe that the movement is genuine. Tweet back and start saying that Bersih is ‘kotor’ (dirty)” – that’s right. Wasn’t this what the Reich’s guru of propaganda (Joseph Goebbels) also said about propaganda or counter propaganda – the message must be kept terse and simple, easily digestible, and a lie, when repeated often enough (by way of sensory bombardment) will act on chemistry of human minds and be soon accepted as veritable truth?
These 10000 troops have no willpower or passion to fight for this corrupted regime. They are in it just for the money unlike the PR supporters who are paid nothing but are all willing fighters. We are defending our home. They are defending a corrupted regime. And like all wars, those who defended their homes ways win.
Najib must send this 10,000 cybertroopers to English classes first. Then send them to IT classes so that they can create their own blogs and cut and paste pictures. I guess it’s too late for this GE…..
#1–what cybertroopers? The crux of the matter is, “What can they write about?”
Well, they can always invent fairy tales about YB LKS being private secretary to the late Chairman Mao, or YB LGE having an affair with Lady Gaga in New York
Hold your tongue jibby boy. Both tips pls. Yes! With both hands OF COURSE. Oh boy. Now make sure each hand holds one end of each tip of that forked tongue! Do it. NOW!
That is better. Good job.
Now listen. Ah ah ah keep holding those pointed ends. Alright. Now 10,000 is a big number. I mean look at the facts. Bersih 3.0 attracted 22,000 ppl (according to a certain umno minister). And that number was enough to set the whole of umno beserk and … omg look at you – someone pls wipe those saliva off his chin, quick … Sorry ppl for the diversion. Let me continue. And and that number was also enough to turn the police crazy for they started firing tear gas (against UN guidelines or something) and shooting chemical-lace water wildly.
Why are you blinking so much jibby boy? Huh? Wot? I am afraid I dont understand you. And dont you ever let go of those tips. Errr tissue pls. Someone. Ah yes, Thank you. Anyway, lets us carry on. So 10,000 is a large number. Very large number. My point is this. Will the 10,000 cyber troopers not show up? You know. Just like the 50,000 silat exponents. Only about 50 or so turned up – supposedly to terrorise participants of Bersih 2.0.
…. many many many many hours later ….
“Sir, errr excuse me sir.” Oh! Speak up then. “I think jibby boy needs a drink.” Huh? He needs wot??!! Water? Do you boy? WELL WHY DONT YOU SAY SO?
Y so takut of d word @SS 1?
Mesejes left here with words like gr@ss, m@ss, m@ssive, @ssembly, @ssemble, etc sure kena moderated, as if with word like @sshole or as2hole
So a ss 2 b written as as., as2, @ss, a\ss, as/s. a.s, etc – creatif lor
In W. Malaysia, perhaps the accessibility to the online news is unquestionable. As such many people are aware of what’s going on. In Sarawak / Sabah, it’s a different matter all together. The msm is the only source of information (or misinformation) available to the majority of the rakyat. With that I don’t see how the present BN gov’t could be shaken much less to topple it! As I see it, the ‘fixed deposit’ tag is still very much relevant unless PR does something really extra-ordinary. Until then, perhaps it’s just a dream…..
Cybertrooper will do little to change things for umno. The great majority of online readers are dead set against umno and they are not likely to be swayed by umno’s cybertrooper.
In any event umno’s cybertrooper will behave like typical umno goons – idiotic, arrogant, brash and illogical and so very stupid. Instead of making genuine effort to explain umno’s position (i.e. engaging in the art of pursuasion) these cybertroopers would prefer to annoy the online community even more with stupid remarks and worse one liners. Look umno is actively encouraging it. Instead of telling these troopers to tell people how and in what way umno has compromised its position vis a vis bersih movement umno simply decided to annoy the online community by countering them with stupid remarks like bersih = kotor. These cybertroopers will simply serve to remind people continuously the reasons why umno must be rejected.
So in other words, the umno cybertroopers will do us good as well. They will go to complete the entire bad image of umno – one half of which is created by the msm and soon the other half would be made up by umno’s online people.
Jib Jib boleh.
Ros Ros cantik!
LKS, it’s a given that many Malaysians especially those who have access to the Internet, already know what the devil UMNO/BN is all about.
It does not take much discerning power to know that it’s a devil we all know very well and will never accept because it bodes ill to the country.
They have given us nothing by corruption, lies, deceit, scams and scandals.
It’s well past time to dump them.