Barisan Nasional (BN) cyber troopers have been urged not to spread slanderous news on social media.

International Trade and Industry (MITI) Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who is also BN Bureau of Information and Technology (BN) chairman said there were many other issues which could be discussed on social media instead, such as the success of party leaders and the development of the country.

"I am convinced that BN cyber troopers have a lot of capital (things to write about), because everyday, there are various programmes and activities held (news of) which can be spread for the good of the people rather than the opposition (which is now) running out of capital.

"They have no programmes and activities of going down to the ground as our leaders do, so they will find ways to slander," he told reporters at a press conference after the Terengganu state-level BTM Virtual Technical Workshop here.

Ahmad pointed out that BN's cyber troopers should spread positive things before the upcoming 14th General Election.

"I have also not been spared from this slander, this indicates that the opposition is already aware that the GE is near, so their job is only to spread slander.

He also mentioned the 'tweet' reported by Malay Mail Online two days ago, that Facebook users who supported BN and UMNO were two times more than opposition supporters.

"Tweets like this are interesting, because they are made by third parties and have nothing to do with political parties, namely the one by Poli Tweet which was reported by Malay Mail, studying Facebook users' support for UMNO and Pakatan Harapan.

"In fact, the number of Facebook users supporting UMNO is 4.4 million, and the opposition is half the number, that shows our party is getting stronger," he said.

He added that this was the first time that such a study had put UMNO in front of the opposition in the war of social media.

-- BERNAMA