BN ready to take on the opposition in cyberspace — Shafie

by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on April 30, 2012, Monday

LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE: Shafie visiting stalls at Sibu Central Market, greeting hawkers and sharing a light moment with them.

SIBU: The Barisan Nasional (BN) has mounted efforts to counter baseless allegations launched by the opposition in the cyber space aimed at confusing people and spreading negativity about the government.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said they were ready to match strength with the opposition in cyberspace now that they had strengthened their efforts.

“We have beefed up our activities in cyberspace but at the same time I am aware that Internet accessibility in some areas in Sarawak is limited,” Shafie, who is Rural and Regional Development Management Minister, told The Borneo Post.

The Semporna MP said this when met at the sideline during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s visit to Sibu Central Market last Friday.

Shafie, who was accompanied by Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie, visited stalls at the Central Market here.

He was seen greeting and shaking hands with the hawkers there and at one of the stalls, he was heard greeting an elderly hawker in Mandarin.

The political battlefield has now shifted to cyber space, and investing in social media is no longer an option but the key to political mileage.

Last year, Sarawak BN’s new media unit or ‘Unit Media Baru’ (UMB) was set up to counter opposition’s baseless allegations.

According to a media report, UMB Sarawak headed by PBB Youth Information Chief Abdul Aziz Tan Sri Adenan, was set up to counter the opposition’s campaign against BN leaders and policies in cyber world.

Aziz was quoted then as saying the whole idea was to ensure that the BN would retain all the current seats held by the four state BN component parties in the coming general election.

Aziz was also reported to have said that UMB would use all the available cyber tools such as the Internet, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and even SMS to counter opposition’s allegations.