Threat to expose photos of voters' wives: Harapan cries hacking
MALACCA POLLS | Two Pakatan Harapan candidates today lodged police reports after they suspected their handphones were hacked to send threatening messages to voters.
In a statement issued by Harapan, the candidates - Gue Teck (Kelebang) and Prasanth Kumar Brakasam (Rim) - were alerted yesterday that their phone numbers had sent out messages to male voters.
The messages purportedly threatened to expose private photos of...
MALACCA POLLS | Two Pakatan Harapan candidates today lodged police reports after they suspected their handphones were hacked to send threatening messages to voters.
In a statement issued by Harapan, the candidates - Gue Teck (Kelebang) and Prasanth Kumar Brakasam (Rim) - were alerted yesterday that their phone numbers had sent out messages to male voters.
The messages purportedly threatened to expose private photos of their wives if they do not vote for the coalition.
Also affected was PKR election director for Rim, Wan Mahadi Wan Hussein, who manages the campaign for Ayer Molek candidate Mohd Rafee Ibrahim. He too had lodged a report with the authorities.
"In the incident that happened at about 3pm yesterday, we were informed that the handphones of Gue Teck, Prasanth Kumar, and Wan Mahadi had been hacked.
"All three victims only learned about the incident after they were alerted by the message recipients.
"Several of the recipients, all of whom come from the Chinese community, said that they received a message threatening to expose private photos of their wives if they do not vote for Pakatan Harapan in this election.
"The victims lodged police reports," read the statement issued by Malacca Harapan's election operations centre.
Calling it a despicable act, the party said they believe it could have been done by one of Harapan's rivals in the state polls.
"This incident is an attempt at distancing voters especially the Chinese community from Harapan. We are bracing for more such dirty tactics later today and as the people go to cast their votes tomorrow.
"However, we hope that all Malacca voters regardless of religious and racial background are able to see this as a dirty trick by those who are opposing Harapan...
"We hope that all will go out to vote and give the mandate to Harapan tomorrow."
On the offensive
Meanwhile, the last day of campaigning is seeing an increasing number of politically offensive banners that attack certain political coalitions and leaders.
In the Limbongan area, which is within the Kota Laksamana constituency, a banner was put up with a message criticising MCA for over alcoholic beverage issue.
"Pre election toast beer, post election ban alcohol," the message reads, with MCA logo blazoned on it.
The banner had the Harapan logo on its lower part, as to suggest that it was purportedly put up by the opposition coalition. However, it could not be ascertained if Harapan was indeed behind the message.
Another banner found in Semabok Perdana, which is within Duyong constituency, saw the attack directed at Perikatan Nasional for alleged failure to deal with flood issues in the area when it was in power.
"The PN government is bad in dealing with flood issues, when it rains, it floods, people suffer.
Bersatu leader Mohamed Azmin Ali was also not spared, although he is not running in the election.
The photo of a banner featuring Azmin's face had gone viral on social media, as it made fun of a scandal that implicated the international trade and industries minister in 2019.
It is believed that the banner was found in Tanjung Bidara, as it was placed side by side with the face of Mas Ermieyati Samsudin who is Perikatan Nasional's candidate for the state seat.
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