As Sabah marked the official birthday of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman with a ceremonial parade at Padang Merdeka, the city centre witnessed a student-led anti-corruption protest that unfolded in tandem.
Beginning with chants and tom-tom drums outside Suria Sabah Mall, the “Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0” rally brought together around 40 demonstrators from 1pm.
Organised by student activist group Suara Mahasiswa UMS, the protest eventually moved through the city in a 1.2-kilometre march to Lintasan Deasoka — all under persistent rain.
Though their numbers had halved by the time they reached their destination around 4pm, the group launched an overnight sit-in, pledging to remain until 1pm Sunday.
“This is about dignity,” said Suara Mahasiswa leader Fadhil Kasim. “We’ll stay until 1pm tomorrow because Sabahans deserve answers — on corruption, on water, and on leadership.”
Fadhil said many UMS students are still facing severe water shortages and are forced to buy bottled water to bathe. He criticised both the Sabah state government and university administrators for failing to address the crisis, saying: “G2G excuses don’t hold when taps are dry.”
The protest, which coincided with Tun Musa’s birthday celebration, also targeted broader governance issues. Protesters called for reforms to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), questioning the extension of its chief Tan Sri Azam Baki and demanding greater transparency.
Fadhil further voiced strong opposition to proposals for Tun Musa — Sabah’s former Chief Minister — to be appointed Chancellor of UMS.
“To elevate someone still viewed by many as a symbol of past excess is unacceptable. “It sets the wrong tone for students and for Sabah,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a second group known as Gerakan Mahasiswa Mahasiswi Anak Sabah (Gammas) had gathered near Lintasan Deasoka in what appeared to be a rival assembly.
Gammas declared its aim to support Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and “defend the integrity of the government”, though its leaders insisted the gathering was not a counter-rally.
Unlike Suara Mahasiswa, Gammas was believed not to have obtained a police clearance to hold their rally. They had gathered at the location of the Suara Mahasiswa UMS sit-in around 2pm.
But police told reporters the group left early just before rainfall around 3pm.
The Gammas gathering had already dispersed by the time he student-led group arrived at the sit-in site.
No confrontations were reported, and police maintained a visible but non-intrusive presence throughout the day.
As night fell, the student activists continued their protest with lectures and discourse sessions under the city lights, underscoring a generational push for cleaner governance — even as the state observed its highest ceremonial occasion across town.
They are expected to end their rally around 1pm on Sunday. – June 21, 2025
