KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — A former Umno leader who heads a rebel movement against the party leadership vowed today to fight from within the party against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.

In a speech at the Bantah TPPA rally at Padang Merbok here, Kamarul Azman Habibur Rahman said that he decided to join the demonstration against the free trade treaty because he dared to speak the truth, which he said was not appreciated in his party.

“There was never a point in history whereby any trade pact done by our people benefited us; it only benefits the west,” Kamarul Azman, head of the Gabungan Ketua Umno Malaysia (GKCM), said to thunderous cheers from the crowd.

“Let’s push away our racial differences, let’s push away our political differences because we are brothers, because we love the country so much, because this is irrespective of races. This is our land and we are going to go against TPP,” the former Selangor Umno leader added.

Police estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 people attended the anti-TPP demonstration in the city centre here today that was dominated by Malay-Muslim nationalist movements.

Parliament is set to debate the TPP next week amid concerns that the free trade treaty could hurt small local businesses and increase the price of medicine.