Puteri Umno forms ‘Fire Ant Front’ to fight ‘brainwash’ by opposition cybertroopers

(Malay Mail Online) – Umno’s Puteri wing has formed a “cyber commando” unit called the Fire Ant Front, purportedly to defend their party from attacks against the Malay race and Islam.

According to English daily The Star, the unit’s mission will be to provide “counter-attacks” to propaganda, lies and slander against those three, allegedly being spread in social media.

“We realise the seriousness of the situation. We are using digital technology and social media to counter-attack,” Puteri chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin was quoted saying in her policy speech yesterday, which focused on the aspirations of young women.

Mas Ermieyati also said that the unit will utilise a strategy of “to move quietly and extensively and hit when the ‘enemy’ least expects it”.

According to the Masjid Tanah MP, the unit was named after the ant as the insect symbolises priority on orderly lifestyle, teamwork, resilience, and most importantly, loyalty to the leader.

She also compared the wing’s initiative to so-called “cybertroopers” in the opposition, who she said alleged have been spreading the teachings of liberalism, socialism and communism among young Malays behind the façade of democracy.

“They instigate, brainwash and shape the minds of Malay youths to oppose the Government and reject matters enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“It is sad that the Malay youngsters do not realise that they are being manipulated,” she added, accusing the youths of being “conditioned” to forget their roots.

Umno-owned Utusan had first front-paged a report on the so-called Red Bean Army (RBA) in May last year, alleging that DAP is paying RM3,000 monthly to some 200 members of the cybertrooping unit, and has spent around RM1.5 million to fund the operation over the past six years.

The newspaper claimed that part of the RBA’s duties was to attack any politician, businessman or entertainer seen as pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) via social media sites, operating from two centres nationwide ― Concorde Hotel and Komtar in Penang, which is currently under Pakatan Rakyat administration.

Following that, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang had alleged that Umno cybertroopers were conspiring to milk the party or taxpayers of some RM350 million in a campaign to fight the fictitious RBA.

The Gelang Patah MP had said then that certain events proved that Umno and its cyber warriors were deliberately keeping the story of the RBA alive as they have “vested interests” in a ploy to convince their party of the need for funding.