Press Statement
Action by Universiti Malaysia Sabah and the police against student protestors in “Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0” rally are a high-handed & unlawful attempt to protect Anwar Ibrahim from criticism
24 June 2025
We refer to statements yesterday that the police are investigating the burning of the caricature of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the “Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0” rally in Kota Kinabalu last weekend under the Sedition Act and the Penal Code; and that Universiti Malaysia Sabah (“UMS”) will lodge a police report and initiate disciplinary proceedings against students involved in the burning of a caricature of Anwar Ibrahim.
Instead of focusing on high-level corruption highlighted at the rally, members of the unity government, its supporters and UMS are focusing on the burning of the caricature calling it “rude”, “immature” and “uncivilised”, including PKR Youth Chief Kamil Munim. This is a convenient excuse to sidestep the main complaint at the rally that Madani govt is closing one eye on corruption in Sabah involving the government’s political allies.
Instead the students, who demanded stern action by the government on corruption are the ones being investigated. It is as if they are hardened criminals, with the authorities even utilising the draconian Sedition Act on the students for the burning of the caricature.
We remind these sycophants of those in power that irrespective of their personal views of how the rally was conducted, it does not negate the constitutionally guaranteed right of the participants of the rally to express their views and to peacefully assemble. These rights are enshrined within Article 10 of our Constitution and cannot be abrogated simply because a few ‘brown-nosers’ view certain acts as “rude” or “immature”. What is illegal and unconstitutional is intimidating participants of the rally with disciplinary and criminal action for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech.
It is highly ironic that anyone from this government think that they have any leg to stand on to reprimand actions of the students during the “Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0” rally. Are we forgetting that the PM himself led a book burning on a book penned by the Tunku Abdul Rahman in the 1970s when he himself was a student activist? What about Adam Adli, current deputy minister in the Cabinet, whom as a student activist, who lowered the flag bearing the image of then Prime Minister Najib Razak in front of the Putra World Trade Centre, replacing it with a banner reading “Bebaskan Academic Freedom” back in 2011?
In fact, further hypocrisy can be seen where similar acts were also carried out by those affiliated with the government; UMNO Youth burned the Israeli flag at Masjid Jamek in 2023 to express their anger on the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. It is recognised worldwide as a legitimate form of democratic protest. Why then should the burning of the caricature of the PM should now be made an issue amounting to criminal action? Is Anwar above criticism? Or do special rules apply to him?
It is usual for any protest to involve acts symbolising the disdain or anger of the participants against failures of those who are in power. ‘Adab’ has no role to play in a protest, as history shows. The Unity government should stop with all the false outrage.
The barrage of threats against the students involved in the protest in fact highlights yet another failure of the PH-led government apart from combating corruption; their failure to uphold and protect the rakyat’s constitutional rights to freedom of expression and to peacefully assemble, utilising the Sedition Act, the draconian act that PH promised to repeal, against the students.
For UMS, an institution of higher learning to stifle its own students exercise of freedom of speech and to peacefully assemble through threats of disciplinary action is utterly disgraceful and contrary to the tenets of academic freedom. For this to happen under a PH-led government, who staunchly supported student activism when they were in opposition, is sheer hypocrisy.
Enough is enough. The PM and all PH members in government should honour their promise to uphold and protect the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and peacefully assemble for all, and not qualify these rights only to those who support or are aligned with the current government. We thus urge the government and UMS to immediately halt and drop all probes against the participants of the rally for the burning of the caricature of Anwar Ibrahim, as well as to take swift action to repeal the draconian Sedition Act.
Issued by,
Zaid Malek
Director
Lawyers For Liberty