PAKATAN Harapan candidates and activists said they have been inundated by spam calls and phishing emails which they claim are designed to disrupt their communication channels as Malaysia goes to the polls this morning.

Among the affected PH leaders include DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR deputy president and Selangor caretaker menteri besar Azmin Ali, PKR national communication director Fahmi Fadzil, PKR’s Selangor caretaker exco Elizabeth Wong, DAP political education director Liew Chin Tong and DAP’s Zairil Khir Johari.

Lim said their mobile numbers were also being used to make calls to others.

“It cripples our communication. We can’t contact our colleagues. This cyber warfare, an attack using technology, is a real dirty tactic to sabotage us and steal the elections,” he said.

Lim said the party has set up an alternative communication system to counter the attacks, but urged the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to investigate the incident.

PH president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said while she has been spared the attacks, her aides have been receiving spam calls from 6am.

“These spam calls thank you for picking up and then the line goes dead.

“We wonder whether those in Barisan Nasional are facing the same problem, this dirty tactic,” she said.

PKR Perak vice-chairman Chang Lih Kang told the press via a WhatsApp group that he had to switch off his mobile phone to stop the calls from foreign numbers.

“My phone has been receiving these anonymous overseas calls since 7.30am. This happens to other Adun and Parlimen candidates too. I am forced to switch my phone off. Sorry for any inconveniences,” he said.

A check by Malaysia Decides also found that official websites of all PH component parties PKR, DAP and PKR were inaccessible. Think-tank Invoke and DAP mouthpiece Roketkini’s websites were also down.

Penang Institute’s Wong Chin Huat said he was flooded with spam calls from early today.

“Very annoyingly, nonstop calls from unknown numbers, most with a lot of zeroes keep coming in. Apparently, it’s a spam operation to wear us down.

“Whether it’s from Alabama, Minesota, Malaysia or calculator screen, I just block them after confirming they’re spam,” he said on Facebook.

“For friends in media, I am afraid I won’t take unpr-eagreed calls. Please WhatsApp,” Wong said.

More than 14 million Malaysians are eligible to cast their votes today before polling closes at 5pm. – May 9, 2018.