From 'dedak' to death wishes, elderly woman turns target of Twitter attacks for criticising Nurul Izzah

An elderly voter in Permatang Pauh has found herself at the receiving end of vile personal attacks from Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters and cybertroopers after criticising PKR incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar for failing to bring any change to the constituency.

Noorasiah Saad, 72, a resident of Kampung Tanjung Putus in Permatang Pauh, who was interviewed by news portal Malaysia Gazzette, had expressed disappointment that MPs for the northern constituency "had not been doing anything". 

"When elections approach, they'll come to snap pictures with us but they have not been doing anything here.

"We senior citizens who reside in Tanjung Putus would like to see change in Permatang Pauh. The MP lives in Kuala Lumpur but is elected here, how is that?

"If the current state of affairs continues, we are embarrassed to say we are from Permatang Pauh. It looks like they are taking us for idiots. This time, we want to choose someone who is really passionate about being our representative and do work," she said.

Noorasiah also hit out at Nurul Izzah, saying she had not performed as a good MP in Parliament, and was "a good actor".

Nurul Izzah is vying to defend the seat for a second term at the Nov 19 polls. 

The seat changed hands from her father Anwar to her mother Wan Azizah, before their daughter was fielded there in 2018 when the PKR chief was serving a jail sentence for sodomy.

'When are you going to die?'

Footage of Noorasiah's interview posted on Malaysia Gazette's Twitter account was soon flooded with condemnation from PKR supporters and cybertroopers, many of whom mocked the woman while defending Nurul Izzah's track record.

"Should you be paid RM50 so that you can say (Nurul Izzah) is doing her work?" said a party-linked Twitter account, Setia Keadilan.

Some also accused her of being an Umno supporter, with one going as far as to say that she had received "dedak" (crumbs), a reference to petty bribes thrown at voters during elections. 

"One bag of rice and she just follows the script," said a Twitter user by the name of Kebenaran.

Many were also quick to assume that Noorasiah was uneducated, while one said she appeared to have never ventured out of her house.

"Mak Cik wants multi-storey highways, KPJ specialist hospital, IOI mall, Tesla car factory, Legoland and a branch of Stanford University in Permatang Pauh. Even the kingdom of heaven can't give these to you," said yet another comment.

One Twitter user with the handle Norhisyam Hasim even said: "Makcik, when are you going to die?!"

The reaction to Noorasiah appears to be one of many examples of cancel culture in the run-up to polling day, as political parties turn social media into a propaganda battleground to show the extent of their support.

Most of the Twitter accounts condemning Noorasiah appeared to be managed by cybertroopers, a potent weapon used by political parties.

Earlier this month, PH supporters were told to flood social media with comments in support of the coalition. They were also urged to follow the live ceramah feeds of leaders and to share and like their content.

#PRU15 : Mak Cik Geram Betul Nurul Izzah Ni Pelakon Handalan! - Luahan Pengundi Permatang Pauh#malaysiagazette #rakyatmemilih #MGPRU15 #PRU15 #GE15 pic.twitter.com/NMAiyBRJ3R

— Malaysia Gazette (@MalaysiaGazette) November 13, 2022