Selangor UMNO has no right to stop members from going to the planned rally at Dataran Merdeka tomorrow if they are to go there in their personal capacity or as members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), said its liaison chief Tan Sri Noh Omar today.

He said the party constitution clearly stated that UMNO members were free to join any organisations or NGO, except as members of other political parties.

"This matter has to be isolated, should be understood and differentiated between members of a political party and NGO because NGO has their own objective.

"In this matter, we (Selangor UMNO) are clear. It is true Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos is Sungai Besar UMNO division leader, but at the same time, he is also a leader of an NGO (Red Shirts)," he said when asked whether Selangor UMNO would allow its members to participate by either joining Bersih or the Red Shirts at the rally planned for tomorrow.

Noh, who is also Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, told a media conference after opening a conference on environmental health at his ministry here today.

On the conference, Noh said it was an annual event and involved the participation of 300 people, comprising academicians, representatives from NGOs and local government authorities.

The conference aims to identify problems on environmental health and draw up guidelines, as well as resolutions, for the ministry to bring up to the National Council on Local Government. --Bernama