Umno Youth and Puteri members are told to activate their cyber machinery to rebut baseless allegations hurled against government leaders by pro-opposition bloggers.

Cheras Umno division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee said this included an accusation that Prime Minister Najib Razak had interfered in awarding the contract for the extension of the Ampang LRT Line.

"These bloggers have the preponderance of defaming our leaders with unfounded allegations, but dare criticise unwarranted actions by opposition leaders," he told reporters after the simultaneous opening of the Cheras Umno Youth and Puteri Umno division delegate meetings today.

He said Umno Youth and Puteri leaders should join the fray as inventive accusations hurled against Umno leaders were being fended off by familiar names like Ibrahim Ali,  Zahrain Hashim and Zulkifli Nordin.

In another development, Syed Ali said the people should be wary of attempts to divide the Malays and throw the Chinese and Indians into confusion.

Khairy denies factionalism

Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin denied that a revamp of its leadership at the state level was due to factionalism among its members or that the state leadership was not accepted by the grassroots.

He said this to refute the rumour that Johor Umno Youth head Mohd Fadzil Muskon was not accepted by a handful of the Umno Youth division heads.

Earlier, Johor PAS Youth head Suhaizan Kaiat was reported to have claimed that 16 Umno Youth division heads were not happy with Fadzil, from the Khairy camp, who had called for a meeting to demand for Mohd Fadzil's resignation.

Meanwhile, Tebrau Umno Youth head Syahrin Jamaludin, who was one of the 16 Umno Youth division heads concerned, was reported to have refuted the allegation and described PAS as 'cooking up stories' as it had no issues to raise.

Khairy said the restructuring was nothing unusual and in fact, it had already been carried out in Penang, Perak, Selangor and Sabah.

"This is normal, nothing unusual. In Penang, Selangor and Sabah, I have already made changes at the state Youth leadership. So, for the other states, I'm looking at the situation, if need be, will will change.

"Johor is among the states that I am still monitoring, whether a change in the state leadership is necessary or not," he said.

He said this when approached by reporters after opening the Pasir Gudang Umno Youth delegates meeting at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Bandar Seri Alam, near Pasir Gudang today.

- Bernama