Umno says won’t support red shirt rally in Kajang

Tan Sri Ali Rustam speaks at the red shirt rally in Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur, on September 16. Umno says it never supported the rally despite the presence of its leaders. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 1, 2015.

Umno said it would never support any street protest, amid calls by one of its members, Datuk Jamal Md Yunos, to hold another red shirt rally, this time in the opposition state constituency of Kajang.

The party's secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said if Umno leaders had been present at the first red shirt rally on September 16, it was because of their positions in non-governmental organisations (NGO).

He said Umno leaders would know better than to do anything against the party.

"We never support rallies, not even the red shirt rally," the federal territories minister told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

"We never support any street demonstration. I'm a lawmaker, the opposition are also lawmakers and they know the law. All of us agreed in Parliament that you can do demonstrations in a contained place.

"Some Umno leaders are also NGO members, like Tan Sri Ali Rustam, who is the chairman of one of the NGOs. Like me I'm also the chairman of so many NGOs," Tengku Adnan aid when asked to comment whether the party would support Jamal's proposal for another rally in Kajang.

Jamal made the call recently, citing people's dissatisfaction with Kajang MP and opposition leader, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak previously said Umno did not endorse the September 16 "red shirt" rally but would not stop members from taking part in it.

Najib had defended the rally dubbed "Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu", saying it was a manifestation of the Malays defending their dignity and the country's leadership from being condemned and humiliated.

Tengku Adnan (pic, left) said the people must unite as the country was going through economic and political problems.

"People don't like to see what we have achieved, they want to destroy (it). I would like to advise all of you, to build takes a long time, to destroy it takes a couple of minutes.

"All of us must be together to fight, to get out of this turmoil which we are going through," he said.

- TMI