SUNGAI BESAR, Aug 31 ― Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today defended Umno division chief Datuk Jamal Md Yunos over allegations of being against non-Malays, saying the leader of the "Red Shirts” movement was fair to all communities.

Speaking at the Sungai Besar Umno division meeting here, the Umno acting deputy president said he had personally witnessed Jamal's efforts in helping the Chinese and Indians in the constituency.

"I have seen with my own eyes; Datuk Jamal, although he is branded as being anti non-Malays, in reality he isn’t like that. He is also fair to the non-Malays,” Zahid said.

He cited an incident in June, when Jamal had helped campaign for the release of two fishermen from Selangor who were arrested by Indonesian authorities for trespassing into the republic’s waters.

Chua Lee Teck, 45 and Heng Chee Yong, 29 from Bagan Sekinchan were released on June 17 after being detained in Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia since March 4.

Bernama reported that the duo were freed along with four other fishermen from Pontian, Johor, after Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed a pardon.

Jamal and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim were among several Barisan Nasional leaders who had boarded two fishing boats to bring back the fishermen from a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol vessel in the Strait of Malacca, the national news agency reported.

Jamal is the self-styled leader of the pro-government "Red Shirts” movement that organised a rally to "defend Malay honour” on September 16 last year.

His prominence in the movement as well as his defence of racially-charged incidents from the rally, which was held to counter the purported Chinese dominance in the Bersih 4 protest, have led to the view that he was prejudiced against the non-Malay community.

Jamal has also pledged to hold another mass gathering this year to counter the planned Bersih 5 rally.