KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 ― The Red Shirts movement is not funded by anyone as its members do not need to be paid, its leader Datuk Jamal Md Yunos said.
Jamal, who is also the Sungai Besar Umno division chief, claimed that his Red Shirts movement was founded based on a struggle revolving around “religion, nation and country”.
“So don't need to be paid. Even if there is, small contributions for food and drinks, so therefore there's no problem.
“So, the Red Shirts exists based on the awareness and hatred towards what Bersih is doing. We emerged on the basis of dignity to defend religion and nation,” he said in an interview published by local daily Sinar Harian.
“We do not get funds from anywhere. I firmly deny it,” he added.
When asked regarding public comments that the Red Shirts movement is equivalent to Umno, Jamal did not directly answer and insisted that anything spoken about his pro-government group will be seen as trickery.
“I admit this thing is happening because the pro-government media is so slow, especially in social media,” he said.
Jamal said he did not care about federal opposition leaders' claims that he was causing racial tension, also claiming that his Red Shirts movement had good intentions but was allegedly provoked by polls reform group Bersih 2.0.
“Each time in meetings with Red Shirts members, I warned our followers, cannot do provoking and physical violence. But when the gathering involves many people, Bersih would surely carry out provocation until it sparked an aggressive response from the Red Shirts group,” he claimed.
Jamal's Red Shirts movement has been accused of violent assault and harassment of Bersih 2.0 supporters and journalists during the electoral watchdog's nationwide convoy.
He also claimed that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had made multiple defamatory claims without evidence, challenging the former prime minister to prove his allegations against current prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and promising to be Dr Mahathir's loyal follower if he succeeded.
Jamal also explained his actions of tearing up a letter of demand from Bersih 2.0 chief Maria Chin Abdullah's lawyers and flushing it down the toilet, saying that he would not have torn the letter if it came from the courts.
“So the message I wish to explain to society, her lawsuit is a political lawsuit to frighten me to no longer utter words that worry them,” he said.
Jamal's Red Shirts movement will be holding a second protest outside news portal Malaysiakini's office this afternoon, despite the media outlet having already publicly explained its funding.
In today's interview, Jamal said his anti-Bersih movement will show up on the same day and same venue as the polls reform group if it proceeds with its Bersih 5 rally on November 19.
