18-05-2025
Students gear up for ‘Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0' rally amid political tensions
KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student group Suara Mahasiswa is planning to stage a second anti-corruption rally titled 'Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0' next month.
Its president Muhamad Fadhil Muhamad Kasim said the rally aims to uphold integrity and demand accountability from state leaders and institutions.
'We are launching this second rally following unresolved corruption scandals involving Sabah state assemblymen, persistent infrastructure failures such as water, electricity and road issues, and recent integrity crises surrounding high-level appointments,' he said in a live video on Saturday (May 17).
He said the event is scheduled to take place on June 21 and 22 here, with the specific location to be announced five days before the assembly after police are notified, in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act.
'The last time we held a rally, a carnival was also held near our location. Students are constantly told to use the 'proper channels' and remain polite, but our concerns, from the prolonged water crisis at UMS to rising tuition fees, are left unaddressed.
This time, the student group is making four key demands, the first was for UMS to take the Sabah Water Department to court over its alleged failures, secondly for full separation of powers in the appointment of the Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, thirdly for tougher anti-corruption laws, and the last is to oppose the reappointment of the state Governor.
In response to the planned gathering, Gagasan Rakyat information chief Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar urged the students to refrain from being manipulated by political actors and warned that the rally could cause public unrest.
'Street protests are not the way to resolve issues, especially in the lead-up to the state elections.
'We advise students not to become tools for those with hidden political agendas,' he said.
Zulkarnain also defended the government's handling of infrastructure and economic challenges, stating that efforts are ongoing to address the people's concerns.
'If students are sincere, they should engage constructively with the government, not create provocations that could disrupt peace,' he said, adding that such actions could backfire and harm the credibility of UMS and its student body.
