About 60 members of the Ampang Umno division today gathered in the city centre in support of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police.

umno demo in ampang The protest lasted for about 15 minutes and was led by division chief Ismail Kijo at a car park next to the Ampang Point shopping complex in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Also present were members from the Umno divisions in Pandan and Gombak as well as several members of Barisan Nasional component parties of the Ampang division.

Ismail said the MACC and the police should be allowed to continue with the investigations into corruption allegations against the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

He also warned the opposition not to politicise the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC building in Shah Alam last Thursday and divert attention from the matter at hand.

umno ampang teoh boon hock 220709 ismail kijo "Don't exploit his death and don't evoke racial sentiments (because of) that," he warned, adding that if the opposition persisted, they (BN) would retort.

Ismail ( left ) also expressed his condolences to Teoh's family.

The protesters, made up of mainly middle-aged division members, held up several makeshift banners in support of the MACC and condemning Pakatan.

Some of the banners read ‘Do not disturb police and SPRM's duty', ‘Don't be heroes, Pakatan' and ‘Ampang Umno has confidence in police, MACC'.

Called by police to give statement

The crowd proceeded to the pavement of Jalan Ampang and shouted slogans from their banners to express their sentiments as some motorists honked and showed thumbs up sign in support.

umno ampang teoh boon hock 220709 crowd They dispersed after being told to do so by the police as the gathering did not have a permit.

Later Ampang Jaya police chief Abdul Jalil Hasan told Malaysiakini that the organisers will be called to give statement for the gathering.

A similar gathering will take place later tonight at the Pandan Umno division office.

Teoh, 30, was political secretary to a Selangor exco who was being probed for alleged corruption by the MACC.

He is believed to have fallen to his death from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, which houses the MACC Selangor headquarters.

Earlier today the government announced the setting up of a royal commission to look into the matter.