The distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks on the DAP website last week were politically motivated and could have been funded by pro-BN supporters, the party alleges.

The US server of DAP’s website ( dapmalaysia.org ) took three DDOS strikes last week, said its publicity secretary Tony Pua.

“(The party's Malay news portal) Roketkini suffered collateral damage,” Pua told a press conference today.

He believes last week’s incidents were merely a “test run” to see those behind the attacks were able to prevent people from surfing the DAP site prior to the general election.

NONE Pua ( left ) suspects more assaults would come closer to and during the polls.

“We can only assume that under such circumstances, these attacks are politically motivated and funded by pro-BN supporters,” he said, adding he did not rule out the possibility of this being done by the BN as well.

Pua said his assumption was based on attacks on the Pakatan Rakyat website as well as the frequently attacks on news portals Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider , but no reports of the BN website being targetted.

He said the impact of the attack was at least 240 times the normal data request, and that the party was helpless in encountering such an expensive assault.

The latest was the fiercest, Pua said, adding that the website was attacked on March 8, 10 and 13 and only recovered his morning.

As a contingency plan, he said the party would rely on social media Facebook to disseminate its messages, adding, jokingly, that Facebook was too wealthy to be easily attacked.

Also present at the press conference were Kuantan DAP Socialist Youth chief Steve Lee, the party’s social media strategy adviser Yeo Bee Yin and election bureau executive director Ooi Leng Hang.