Red-shirts gather at Perdana Foundation after ‘viral message’

Some 50 red-shirts gathered in front of the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya today after hearing several NGOs were having a meeting there.

The meeting, the red-shirts claimed, was to discuss ways to hasten the toppling of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

However, Bersatu council member Abu Bakar Yahya, when meeting the group which was refused entry into the premises, denied that that was the case.

Instead, Abu Bakar said, the meeting today was held for Bersatu volunteers from Kelantan and Terengganu.

“I don’t know how it went viral,” he said, on the message detailing the purported agenda of the meeting.

Abu Bakar, who added that he was friends with the red-shirts, believed that it was all just a misunderstanding.

“It’s fortunate that this was settled amicably.

“(Red-shirts leader) Jamal (Md Yunos) is an old friend, he understands. I understand him, he understands me,” said the former Selangor Perkasa chief.

Jamal was not present at today’s gathering.

His supporters, on the other hand, said that their backing off from persisting to enter the building after listening to the explanation was proof that they were not gangsters, as touted by many.

The red-shirts' information chief Ariffin Abu Bakar said they had received information that the gathering was to discuss efforts to topple the prime minister.

“We came here to listen to it for ourselves. But they said today’s meeting was for Kelantan and Terengganu volunteers.”

Ariffin said it was unfair that they were not let in as they too were an NGO.

A fellow NGO leader, from Badan Amal Tarbiah Sejagat (Batas), Shabudin Hasan, said the group had come as they were invited.

“We didn’t come to create chaos. I hope they (Bersatu) will correct the perception that has gone viral that we are here to create chaos,” Shabudin said.

Jamal himself, he added, had received the message on the meeting via WhatsApp.

“When he got the message, it is as though he was invited, too. So we are here as his representatives,” Shabudin said.

The red-shirts left the premises some 20 minutes later.- Mkini