Fresh from police lock-up, red-shirts leader Jamal Md Yunos said Umno secretrary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor is "senile" for barring Umno members from joining the red-shirts.

The Sungai Besar Umno division leader was released today after detained in the wee hours before the Bersih 5 rally on Nov 19.

Tengku Adnan said action will be taken against Umno members who join the red-shirts counter-rally against Bersih last Saturday.

“I want to say that there was not one Umno member who was involved in the rally. Those involved were from NGOs.”

Although Jamal himself is an Umno division leader, he said he did not participate in the rally on Umno’s ticket, he stressed.

“Maybe Ku Nan is old, maybe he is senile,” said Jamal referring to Tengku Adnan’s monicker, to laughter from his supporters present.

Jamal and three other red-shirt activists were remanded for four days by a magistrate's court in Ampang on the same day.

The red-shirts movement leader was greeted with shouts of “hidup merah” (long live the reds) and hugs by his supporters after his release shortly after 12pm today.

Claiming that he has not bathed for four days, Jamal, who was released on bail, said that the red-shirts have been “successful”.

Jamal said red-shirst who were arrested were “fighters” who had revealed the truth about Bersih 5.

Thanking NGOs who supported the red-shirts, Jamal said the counter-rally was a success.

“Even though there was no leader, thousands came. We have shown that the struggle of the red movement has continued,” said Jamal.

Thankful for no untoward incident

Expressing gratitude to the police, Jamal said he was thankful that no untoward incident had occurred.

“What’s most important for me is the failure of Bersih 5,” he said.

The red-shirts claim Bersih 5, which attracted at least 40,000 people was a failure as the rally was moved from near Dataran Merdeka to in front of the Petronas Twin Towers on Jalan Ampang, due to police blocks.

Jamal and the other red-shirts activists were investigated after a ruckus at Ampang Point shopping mall, which also saw him getting punched.

The investigations were classified under Section 147 for rioting, Section 186 (for obstruction of a public officer) and Section 353 of the Penal Code for (using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty).- Mkini