Sabah Student Body Announces June 21 22 Rally In Kk

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A Sabah student movement announced a rally to protest the ongoing water crisis at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), controversial government appointments, and other issues.
The Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 (Peaceful Rally Against Sabah Corruption 2.0) was set for June 21 and 22.
At a press conference tonight, the Suara Mahasiswa UMS group, led by Fadhil Kasim, said they have reached a breaking point and will no longer stand by while Sabahans continue to suffer.
“Sabah remains shackled by the greed for power among its leaders, and a broken system that allows corruption to thrive without fear of the law.
“We, the Sabah students and people’s movement, are rising once again through the Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0, to be held on June 21 and 22, 2025, in Kota Kinabalu.
“This is more than just a gathering. It is a firm warning to those who have brought ruin to this state for personal gain. Our demands are clear and non-negotiable,” Fadhil said.
Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally, December 2024The group’s first demand was to have UMS initiate legal action against the Sabah State Water Department (SSWD). They lamented that the water crisis at UMS is an affront to basic human rights.
“Students have suffered greatly. Some are forced to bathe with bottled water, others have to rent hotel rooms just to clean themselves. Many spent hundreds, even thousands of ringgit due to SSWD’s failure, and yet, to this day, not a single party has been held accountable,” they added.
‘Why appoint controversial Azam?’
The group also called for a complete separation of powers in the appointment process of the MACC chief commissioner.
“The reappointment of Azam Baki, who has been embroiled in a shareholding scandal, reflects a deeply flawed system. Malaysia has a population of 35 million. Why must the same controversial figure be reappointed?” they asked.
Last week, Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted consent to Azam’s reappointment as the nation’s top anti-graft officer.
Azam, 62, has held the position since March 9, 2020, succeeding Latheefa Koya, and was reappointed in May 2023 and May 2024.
MACC chief commissioner Azam BakiIn late 2021, Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of 1,930,000 shares in Gets Global Berhad (previously KBES Berhad) on April 30, 2015, worth around RM772,000 at the time. His shareholding in Gets Global went down to 1,029,500 as of March 31, 2016, worth around RM340,000 at the time.He also held 2,156,000 warrants in Excel Force MSC Berhad in March 2016. The share ownership in 2015 and 2016 raised questions on whether it is commensurate with his income as a public servant.
In a special press conference on Jan 5, 2022, Azam did not dispute the ownership of the shares but claimed they were bought in his name by his brother. The shares have since been transferred to his brother.
Nearly a week later, on Jan 18, the Securities Commission announced that it had concluded its inquiry into the case and that it was unable to conclusively establish that a breach under Section 25(4) of the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991 (Sicda) had occurred. However, following criticism, the SC clarified that Azam had “control” over his own trading account and found no evidence of proxy trading.
‘Suspend those charged with graft’
The group’s third demand calls for the introduction of stricter anti-corruption laws or the amendment of existing ones. It urged the government to enact legislation that would make it mandatory to immediately suspend any minister, elected representative, or senior civil servant who is charged in court for corruption.
They stressed that individuals facing criminal charges should not remain in positions of power or continue making decisions that impact the lives of Malaysians. Additionally, the group called for harsher penalties, including caning, to underscore the seriousness of such offences.
“Fourthly, we strongly oppose the appointment of Musa Aman as the Sabah governor. His appointment is an insult to the people of Sabah and a betrayal of the fight against corruption,” the group said.
It added that Musa was previously linked to one of the biggest financial scandals in the state’s history, involving hundreds of millions of ringgit, which had damaged Sabah’s reputation globally.
Sabah governor Musa Aman“Musa is not a symbol of integrity. He represents an old political era marked by cronyism, corruption, and oppression,” the group said.
As the organising secretariat of the Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah, the group also denied allegations that they were influenced or directed by any political party.
They added that the exact location of the protest in Kota Kinabalu will only be announced five days before the event, to prevent interference from the authorities, UMS, or political parties.
“To prevent any attempts to silence or suppress the voices of students, we have chosen not to disclose the location too early. What we can confirm is that the gathering will take place within the Kota Kinabalu district,” they said. - Mkini

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