A boisterous group clad in red T-shirts that appeared at Dataran Merdeka close to midnight were from Federal Territories Umno Youth, said its leader Mohd Razlan Rafii.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mohd Razlan said that his group had nothing to do with Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Yunos.

Jamal had initially vowed to rally 30,000 people to face off against Bersih 4, which took place over the weekend.

However, Jamal backed down after he was ordered to do so by the police.

Mohd Razlan said the purpose of his group was to mark Merdeka Day at Dataran Merdeka, but they were denied entry by the police.

"At the stroke of midnight every Merdeka Day eve, our national anthem had always been sung at Dataran Merdeka.

"Last night was a black day for the country because Dataran Merdeka was no longer free, as the national anthem was not played," he said.

Mohd Razlan said the police eventually relented allowed one person to enter Dataran Merdeka to carry out the deed.

"There were no parents accompanying their children to Dataran Merdeka. It is clear that Bersih had robbed us of Merdeka Day.

"Our country will not be free as long as there are people who take (Dataran Merdeka) away from us," he said.