BN lodges report over fake Umno Youth Facebook

BN Youth executive secretary Ibdilillah Ishak has lodged a police report today over an ‘offensive’ posting on an allegedly bogus Umno Youth Facebook page.

“It is not officially ours. On Facebook, a lot of people can open an account and become whoever they want to be.

“So they are not officially Pemuda Umno, and they used Pemuda Umno’s name without our knowledge,” Ibdilillah told Malaysiakini when contacted.

He lodged the report at about 4pm at the Tun HS Lee police station on behalf of Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

The posting first emerged on Saturday on a fan page called ‘Pemuda Umno Malaysia’ that soon went viral before being taken down.

The posting in Malay read, “If you agree to making Christianity the official religion of the Federation of Malaysia, continue your support of Pakatan Rakyat.”

“God bless you my son,” it continues in English.

In his police report, Ibdilillah wrote, “I ask that the police investigate who is administrating the Facebook page and who had uploaded the posting, which in my opinion is seditious, or (to probe) if there are any other offences that require further action.”

When met by reporters outside the police station and asked to elaborate why he thought the posting was seditious, he said that the posting invites the reader to consider whether Christianity is the state religion.

In addition to urging the police to investigate, Ibdilillah, who is also Taman Tun Dr Ismail Umno branch chief said the report was also lodged to show that Umno Youth does not condone sedition.

Big Dog reprised

The posting’s overt allegation that Pakatan Rakyat intends to form a Christian state is reminiscent of a posting last year by pro-Umno blogger Zakhir Mohamed, also popularly known online as ‘Big Dog’.

He alleged on May 6, 2011 that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to change the state religion.

Big Dog’s allegations were then dutifully reported on Malay daily Utusan Malaysia the following day, and was immediately denounced by leaders from across the political divide.

DAP and church leaders had also vehemently denied the allegations.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in his Hari Raya Aidilfitri address today recalled the incident while taking stock of the “ideology of Umno supremacy that is full of slander, hatred, violence, corruption and abuse of power” that has plagued his party.

“Even the police has verified that Utusan Malaysia’s report that DAP wants to make Christianity Malaysia’s official religion is false and absolutely untrue.

“Regardless, Utusan Malaysia and Umno continues to peddle these malicious and dangerous allegations,” Lim said.

Facebook not ours, says KJ

Following the latest postings on the fake Umno Youth site, Umno Youth chief Khairy (below) tweeted yesterday that the page was neither sanctioned nor administered by Umno Youth.

Describing the posting as “offensive”, he said the administrator would be tracked down.

Meanwhile, a Twitter user @kyspeaks took the opportunity to comment to Khairy, “Already this is a case of Section 114A (of the Evidence Act) huh?”

Khairy, who had previously voiced his objection against the law, replied “Point,” apparently in agreement.

Under the controversial amended law, the owner, editor or administrator of a website on which any posting appears - or the owner of the Internet connection or equipment with which the posting was made - is presumed to be the person who made the posting, unless proven otherwise.

When this was pointed out to Ibdilillah, he said he could not offer any evidence that the website was not administered by Umno Youth, nor could he identify the suspected culprit.

“Well, we don’t have any proof at all. We don’t have anything. We only have the screenshot.

“We cannot pinpoint who did it... Let the police handle the 'guilty' or 'not-guilty' decision,” he said.