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Malay Mail
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Student activists say two arrested under Sedition Act after Anwar caricature burned at Sabah rally
KOTA KINABALU, June 24 — Two student activists linked to last weekend's Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally were allegedly arrested today under the Sedition Act, following backlash over the burning of a caricature of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Student activist Qistina Qaisara said in a WhatsApp message to reporters that Muhammad Fadhil Kasim and Aliff Danial Badrul Akmal Hisham were detained after arriving at the Sabah police headquarters in Kepayan. 'Fadhil was called in by police to assist with a forensic investigation into the report that their car had been splashed with acid,' she said. 'But when they arrived, both Fadhil and Aliff were immediately arrested under the Sedition Act. Their lawyers had not yet arrived,' she added. Qistina claimed the arrest was aggressive and said they had video recordings of the incident. Yesterday, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said some of the students involved in the rally were being investigated for allegedly violating the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. He said police had opened three investigation papers covering nine potential offences, including incitement involving race, religion and royalty (3Rs), carrying flammable materials, and open burning. The student-led rally, held in the city centre, was largely peaceful until the burning of the caricature, which drew condemnation from several quarters.
Focus Malaysia
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
'You reap what you sow', UMS student leader tells PMX after torching his caricature
'I BURNED Anwar's face in Sabah because I followed his example of burning (first premier) Tunku Abdul Rahman's book'. Such was the confession of t Suara Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) president Fadhil Kasim who incurred the wrath of PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim for burning a caricature of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with the slogan 'Madani: Protector of Sabah's Corrupt'. Added the UMS final year undergraduate of how PMX inspired him to pursue his action during the Gempur Rasuah 2.0 Rally at Lintasan Deasoka in Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu over the weekend: 'When he was the Universiti Malaya Malay Language Society (PBMUM) president, Anwar along with other student leaders demonstrated and burned the book 13 Mei: Sebelum dan Selepas by Tunku Abdul Rahman. Saya bakar muka Anwar di Sabah sebab saya contohi Anwar bakar buku Tunku Abdul Rahman. THREAD — Fadhil #GempurRasuahSabah (@fxdhilss) June 23, 2025 'Deeming the book as 'subversive', the Anwar-led PBMUM committee held a ceremony to bury Tunku's book by demonstrating and burning it in public.' The 25-year-old went on to explain that he was compelled to state his stance after he and fellow activist Aliff Danial who torched PMX's caricature have received heavy criticism from 'Anwar's sycophants, taking into account our manners, morality and methods of organising the rally'. 'I think Anwar Ibrahim after watching our video will be touched to recall his memories at the UM in the 1970s. But that's just a feeling, my friend,' penned Fadhil on his X account with a tinge of sarcasm. Defending action 'The reality is that Anwar is now Malaysia's PM, not a student activist (anymore). When he was in the opposition, Anwar would go to Sabah to bring his top-5 popular narratives. Musa Aman; timber; roads; corruption; and Sabah's rights. 'Now it's different, Anwar may be more concerned about how to maintain the strength of GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) in the Madani administration at a time when the ruling state government is embroiled in an extraordinary corruption scandal.' For the record, Fadhil had on Feb 25 escaped action after the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) decided to drop all charges against him and other individuals involved in an unauthorised assembly (first sequel of the anti-corruption rally) in front of Menara Kinabalu, Likas on Dec 31 last year. In defending criticism levelled at him by Kamil who is also PMX's political secretary at the Finance Ministry that effigy burning was not just excessive and rude but also showed that the protesters had no valid arguments to make, Fadhil reasoned: The leadership of ABIM (Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia), PKR Youth and every organisation that bootlicks Anwar Ibrahim today clearly failed to highlight the nuances of Anwar himself because for them the most important thing now is the opportunity to fan out to continue to rise to the top. Kamil Munim is the best example (apart from Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Adam Adli). Apparently, they have failed to delve into the aesthetics of students who are demonstrating on the issue of corruption in Sabah today. They are more concerned with the portrait of their figure being licked by the fire of anger than the people's wealth that is slowly being plundered by the corruptors and the UMS water crisis. – June 24, 2025
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Student activists face police probe, possible expulsion after caricature of PM set ablaze during rally
KOTA KINABALU, June 23 — Student activists involved in the weekend rally Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 may face both police action and expulsion for their action seen as extreme during the rally. Sabah police chief Datuk Jauteh Dikun said that they were investigating the students for allegedly failing to comply with conditions set under the Peaceful Assembly Act including the burning of a caricature of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'We have received about six police reports so far and opened three investigation papers. There are about nine offences identified for example incitement involving the 3Rs, burning in a public space and bringing flammable materials to the gathering,' he said. Jauteh said that they have started to call the students in, and have yet to take statements from any of the students. He also clarified reports that the gathering was 'approved' by the police, but that there were provisions under the Peaceful Assembly Act which outlined the procedure, beginning with the notification by organisers and followed by a response from the district police. 'We have given them a response but this is by no means an 'approval'. They are still subject to the law and we will investigate any incidents contrary to the guidelines,' he said. 'In my view, the student groups have miscommunicated the facts. They claimed they received 'approval' from the police, which is not true. 'There were even lawyers present — they should know better. The police merely issued a response, not an approval, as per the Peaceful Assembly Act,' he said. He also said that police would investigate reports from the students that a man, allegedly 'dressed to resemble a Special Branch officer' had damaged one of their cars with acid. Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Kasim Mansor said that they have identified 13 students from the rally who may face disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, under the Universities and University College Act (Amended) 2012 (Auku). Out of the 13, two students were directly involved in burning the caricature of the Prime Minister, an act the university strongly condemns. He said a disciplinary committee comprising appointed academicians would be formed soon to investigate the matter and determine appropriate action under Auku. 'The committee will call each student individually to give their explanation regarding the incident that occurred during Sunday's rally,' he said. The student rally, organised by a group calling themselves 'Suara Mahasiswa UMS' took place in the city centre, starting at Suria Sabah shopping centre, and made its way through the city on the main roads before stopping at Gaya street's Lintasan Deasoka where they planned a sit in. The rally was attended by around 100 or so people, mostly students but also civil society, demanding action on corrupt officials and better governance, including a solution to the perennial water shortage especially in the university. The rally was mostly uneventful, garnering attention from passers-by as they marched the streets with placards even under the rain with police monitoring traffic and public order. However, yesterday, it took a turn when the students set fire to a hand-drawn caricature of the prime minister, which was seen as overstepping boundaries and too extreme by some groups. The students justified their move by saying they had ensured a safe distance between participants and the public with their symbolic gimmick and wanted a bold move to get their message across against the Madani government. They also cleaned up the burn marks on the ground with brushes and soap after the incident.
Malay Mail
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
As police look on, student demonstraters take to KK streets to call for reform (VIDEO)
KOTA KINABALU, June 21 — The steady beating of drums and rousing chants calling for clean governance could be heard throughout Kota Kinabalu's central business district streets today, as a student-led anti-corruption demonstration walked the streets escorted by uniformed policemen. It's a rare sight for most as such protests, complete with megaphones, banners, placards and signs, are usually not allowed by authorities and limited to restricted areas. A group of some 100 or so people consisting mostly of students from University Malaysia Sabah and civic society gathered in front of the Suria Sabah shopping mall for the second edition of its Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally. Unlike the first time they had their rally where they marched from UMS to the state administrative building along a busy highway before they were stopped, the police presence this time was much more congenial, without the Light Strike Force unit or heavy arms — mostly helping keep public order on the busy roads. The police had approved their gathering on June 18 with the caveat they adhered to certain rules. Students and civil society groups accompanied by policemen took to the streets of Kota Kinabalu calling for clean and fair governance, transparency and a solution to their water shortage issue. — Picture by Julia Chan 'It's quite good to see this. It's a normal part of democracy and freedom of expression. It's good to see the police presence and actually helping them. No guns, no attacks, no abuse or disorderly conduct. 'I think it's good for the government to allow this to happen,' said Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman, Sabah's former State Assembly speaker who was passing by in the vicinity when he saw the commotion. Many motorists who passed by the group also honked their horns in solidarity with the group. Organised by student coalition Suara Mahasiswa, the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally participants carried signs denouncing corruption, calling for action against certain politicians and also demanding the authorities solve the water shortage issue which has been plaguing the university for months. The group left the mall entrance at around 2.30pm and walked towards the main market, when it started pouring. Stopping briefly to put on raincoats, they continued their march towards Centre Point shopping centre before ending up at Lintasan Deasoka near Gaya Street, where organisers have announced plans for a 24-hour sit-in. A passerby, former Sabah state assembly speaker Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman said such peaceful demonstrations was a sign of a healthy democracy. — Picture by Julia Chan A minor blip occurred when the group came across some people holding up a banner depicting an opposition political party. Some tension occurred between the two groups but was quickly dismissed with the help of police. Its leader Muhammad Fadhli Muhammad Kasim said that the students did not want to have any political connections. He also called for specific action from authorities, including investigations into alleged misconduct involving the Sabah Water Department (JANS) that had led to their water issue, a fully autonomous Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in the state, and investigation into the appointment of the state governor. Not one kilometre away, another smaller, less lively group calling themselves Gerakan Anak Muda dan Mahasiswa Anak Sabah (Gammas), held a demonstration lasting less than 30 minutes at Chong Tien Vun park. Claiming to be students of the university, their spokesperson Noridi @ Noraidi Maya insisted their gathering is not a counter-rally, but to express solidarity with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and 'defend the integrity of the government' after the many beneficial policies and provisions for students. Gammas's gathering did not obtain police approval but the gathering remained peaceful throughout. They dispersed shortly after reading out their mission statement to the media.
Daily Express
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
UMS students to hold rally again
Published on: Monday, May 19, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 19, 2025 By: Abbey Junior Text Size: Fadhil (third from right) with fellow student activists holding up their statement on the upcoming Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally. Kota Kinabalu: UMS students are set to take to the streets again, with Suara Mahasiswa planning a second major anti-corruption rally, 'Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0,' on June 21 and 22, to demand accountability from those in power and push for systemic reforms. The two-day protest aims to highlight long-standing issues like the ongoing water crisis at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which the group described as a symbol of failed governance and a 'humiliation' of students' basic rights. Advertisement 'Students have had to bathe using bottled water, check into hotels just to clean themselves, and spend their own money to cover the failures of the state Water Department,' said the group's leader, Fadhil Kasim. Suara Mahasiswa, which organised the first Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally on Dec 31 last year, along with the 'Kami Mahu Air' rally earlier in 2024, urged UMS to take legal action against the Water Department. They accused the department of forcing students to endure harsh conditions on campus and spend their own money just to access clean water. 'The department has gone unpunished for too long,' he said. Advertisement The group also called for a complete separation of powers in the appointment of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief, criticising the current system where the Prime Minister directly appoints the MACC chief as politically compromised. They also demanded stricter anti-corruption laws, including mandatory suspension for any minister, elected representative, or senior official charged with corruption. They proposed caning as a punishment for serious corruption offences, describing this as a necessary deterrent to combat what they called a deeply entrenched culture of corruption. They also accused officials of trying to 'suppress student voices' through 'intellectual intimidation' and public statements that create fear among potential protesters. 'Stop making cowardly and stupid statements that intimidate the public and create a false narrative about our rights,' one speaker said, directly challenging senior officials. They said the exact locations for the rally would only be disclosed five days before the event to prevent potential disruptions. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
