KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Xinhua) -- International movie star Michelle Yeoh and some other Malaysian stars are facing fierce criticism online for promising to attend pro-ruling coalition events in the run-up to the general election in May.
Yeoh's attending of a mega-dinner, organized to show support for the ruling coalition National Front on Saturday, has triggered heated debate between her fans and opposition supporters in social networking sites.
The dinner will be held in the port city of Kelang of Selangor state, one of the five states that the ruling coalition lost in the last general election in 2008.
The actress, famous for her performance in a series of box- office hit movies including the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Lady, was reportedly a daughter to a ruling party veteran.
Her father has urged the netizens to respect Yeoh's decision.
Eric Moo, a Malaysia-born singer who now lives in China, was slammed for refusing to vote in the general election to be held on May 5. However, he has agreed to perform at a charity concert organized by a pro-government businessman on Saturday in Penang, another opposition-held state.
Saturday is the nomination day for the election, marking the start of the official campaign period towards the polling day.
The opposition successfully deprived ruling coalition of its two-third majority in parliament in 2008 by making good use of the internet.
This time, social networking sites have become a major battlefield for both the ruling coalition and opposition in the least predictable election ever held in the country, with leaders of both sides tweeting or posting their itineraries and opinions to woo voters.