Malaysian politicians on Wednesday (May 9) say their mobile phones have been hacked and are being spammed by calls allegedly originating from the United States.
“BN leaders’ handphones have been under technical attack since morning,” said Barisan Nasional (BN) Strategic Communications director Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan.
“Calls from overseas keep coming in every few seconds! To prevent us from communicating with our machinery,” tweeted the Sepanggar parliamentary candidate.
“My phone seems to be under some form of spam attack this morning. Strange,” Barisan Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who is defending his Rembau parliamentary seat, tweeted on Wednesday morning (May 9), with a screenshot of these calls.
“Sorry to friends who couldn’t reach me and please call my PA (personal assistant) Mr Beh for any urgency (sic),” he posted on Facebook, with accompanying screenshots.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak condemned the “spam calls” received by BN leaders, and said that many of the coalition’s websites could not be accessed.
“I have ordered for immediate action to be taken,” the prime minister said on Twitter.
Malaysian civil rights group Suaram said the spam calls, which have also affected civil society group leaders, was a “clear attempt to impede the work of human rights defenders and politicians at the critical juncture of voting day”, Reuters reported.