PKR rep claims ‘cybertroopers’ attacking him over PTMP

(FMT) – An assemblyman has claimed that he is being attacked by pro-Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) “cybertroopers” for his outspoken views on the project and other issues on Facebook.

Jason Ong Khan Lee (PKR-Kebun Bunga) said the people behind the attacks were “not regular folk” who wanted to share their views but were out to slander those who they labelled as “anti-PTMP”.

Debating the motion of thanks for the governor’s address at the state assembly today, Ong asked the Penang government if there was an official cybertrooper team in Pakatan Harapan and, if so, to reveal it to the public for transparency.

Satees Muniandy (DAP-Bagan Dalam) interjected, saying it was unacceptable for a fellow PH assemblyman to make comments that were baseless and demanded that Ong retract his statement.

Ong told Satees that he had not finished his sentence. He said that if there was no cybertrooper team, then the state should consider forming one to uphold the reputation of the government online.

“The problem is, if these cybertroopers who are constantly attacking us are not from PH, then we must warn the public that they do not represent PH.

“They should not put out seditious and slanderous messages while pretending to support PH to make the government look bad,” he said.

Ong said he personally did not object to the PTMP but had merely voiced out the concerns of his constituents.

He said this was because the project was not funded by the federal government and might not be financially viable in the long run.

He said the PTMP could be carried if the current economic situation was strong and developed like the transportation networks in Singapore and Hong Kong.

“Penang’s ability to manage its growing traffic must be sustainable. Is the local government prepared to have more car parks in tandem with more roads being built in the future?

“What is the use of building many highways to facilitate transportation when there are not enough places to park our cars?

“Is the state government ready to tackle air and sound pollution that is expected when more roads are built?

“I urge the chief minister to reconsider the PTMP, land reclamation and the undersea tunnel project, and better still, to place the project under KIV (keep in view),” he said.