By Hazlan Zakaria | 1:37PM Jun 27, 2013 Malaysiakini
PARLIAMENT DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang today accused “vested interests” in Umno of creating the Red Bean Army story as a ploy to seek funding, supposedly for its own cyberwarriors.
More likely, he said, the funds would be destined for private pockets.
“With regard to the Red Bean Army allegations that the DAP employs thousands of cybertroopers, they are all not true.
“DAP has never spent a single sen nor funded any Red Bean Army,” Lim (right) reiterated while debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He claimed there are reports that some in Umno were asking for RM250 million to fight the Red Bean Army.
“Now I know why the rumour was started by those who spread the slander as a vested interest. It is not to fight the Red Bean Army, but to enrich themselves,” Lim said. At this, Shabudin Yahaya (BN-Tasek Gelugor) raised a point of order, quoting Standing Order 36(6) which prohibits MPs from making presumptions of bad intentions on other members.
However, Shahbudin’s protest was set aside by presiding deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Said.
“I feel that he has no ill intentions,” said Ismail, dismissing the matter.
Lim was commenting on the recent allegations by BN, mainly spearheaded by pro-government bloggers and NGOs, accusing DAP of funding a thousands-strong Red Bean Army of pro-opposition cybertroopers to spread DAP propaganda in cyberspace.
The allegations have been ridiculed by DAP and Pakatan as based on the wild imaginations of BN supporters.