The organiser of a counter-rally against a student demonstration in the city last year has expressed disappointment after being informed that he will be charged in court for leading the gathering.

Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar, chairman of Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) and advisor to Gerakan Bangkit Sabahan, claimed that Sabah police had notified him of the impending charge over the Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan rally held on December 31, 2023, at Anjung Selera.

“I will fight this case in court,” he said in a statement today.

Zulkarnain also accused the police of disregarding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent directive to halt investigations into students who participated in the Himpunan Rakyat Bebas Rasuah on January 25.

“It is unfair that those students were let off, but the organisers of Bangkit Sabahan are being penalised,” he said.

He defended the gathering as a peaceful demonstration in response to a student-led rally that had called for the resignation of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, despite no corruption allegations against him.

G57, he added, remains undeterred by the legal action and plans to hold an even larger rally to defend the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan (GRS-PH) government against what he described as “baseless accusations.”

He also questioned why activist Fahmi Reza had not been charged for allegedly insulting the Sabah Governor but authorities had acted against the organisers of Bangkit Sabahan.

Zulkarnain said his group would submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, urging intervention in what he called a regressive move by the police in Sabah. – February 19, 2025