KAJANG: The handphones of 11 PKR leaders and activists have been hacked and subtle messages meant to show Pakatan Rakyat’s in-fighting have been sent out to voters.
PKR communication director Fahmi Fadzil said today two police reports had been lodged recently.
Those whose phones were hacked were Gombak MP and party deputy president Azmin Ali, party vice presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar (Lembah Pantai MP), Tian Chua (Batu MP) and Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan MP), Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Simpang Pulai state assemblyman Tan Kar Hing and Sri Muda state assemblyman Shuhaimi Shafiei.
Others affected were PKR organising secretary Radin Shamsul Akmar and party workers Lee Joon How from Sungai Chua and Faridi Yaakob from Sungai Kantan.
“Messages are still being sent out using our phone lines even though two police reports have been lodged.
“The messages were sent out in bad faith and clearly favours our political opponents,” Fahmi told reporters at the PKR election machinery headquarters in Sungai Sekamat.
Also present at the press conference were Fuziah, Tan, Faridi and Lee.
Fuziah said her handphone was hacked during the launch of the party’s election machinery centre in Taman Kota Jaya.
“I was receiving weird messages. The senders told me they received messages from my line.
“Among the messages were “Where is the (PAS Women’s Wing) Muslimat Selangor on the ground? Why is the Muslimat from Perak and other states campaigning on the forefront?”
She asked the telecommunication company why the handphone lines were breached so easily.
“We can be framed for things that we did not say. It is a serious matter,” she said. Desperate action by opponents
She added that the messages were subtle and meant to show Pakatan’s infighting to the voters here.
“It is a desperate measure by our opponents,” she said.
Fuziah said she would speak to party lawyers on the possibility of suing the telecommunication companies if they failed to address the problem.
She said she did not complain to the Election Commission because it was powerless and had to rely on other agencies to enforce the laws.
“It is the police and Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission that must stop phone-hacking from marring this by-election,” she added.
Tan said it was an intrusion of his privacy and an example of bad politics practised by the opponents.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be facing MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun in the March 23 state seat by-election.
The Kajang state seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh of PKR on Jan 27. Advance polling will be held on March 19.
The state seat comprises 39,728 registered voters. In the last general election in May 2013, the seat saw a voter turnout of 87.9% with 541 spoilt votes.