The Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 protest will descend on Lintasan Deasoka this weekend — right as thousands expected to flood the city centre for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s birthday parade and the return of the Gaya Street night market.
Students will begin marching from Suria Sabah mall at 1pm Saturday before staging a 24-hour overnight sit-in under the city’s skyline — just metres from where families will be shopping, dining, and celebrating along Kota Kinabalu’s busiest weekend streets – Gaya Street.
The protest, organised by Suara Mahasiswa UMS, was only officially announced on Monday after the students submitted a notice to police.
“This is a democratic gathering. We’re not here to disrupt anyone. The parade happens in the morning. We start after that,” said the student group member Aliff Danial at the Kota Kinabalu police station.
The group only made the location of their rally locations known today in accordance to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, where rally organiser must notify the police at least five days before a rally.
The rally will take place just hours after the state parade at Padang Merdeka and ahead of the night market’s evening surge.
The students will camp out overnight at Lintasan Deasoka that just metres from where visitors are expected to walk with families and stall vendors work late into the night at Gaya Street.
They also would be present when the Gaya Street Fair will opens on Sunday morning before they end their rally around 1pm the same day.
The group said speeches, forums, discussions and anti-corruption banners will be unfold in full view of crowd visiting the location that day.
The students are demanding legal action against the Sabah Water Department. They also want stronger anti-graft laws. They want the MACC chief to be appointed independently — free from political hands.
They also want the Governor removed.
Alif says Sabah’s Constitution allows for the removal of the TYT through the state assembly.
It requires a two-thirds vote in the State Assembly, plus royal consent from the Agong to signal the loss of public trust.
Alif also addressed concerns of a counter-rally that is being planned by a rival group.
Sabah activist Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar — who heads Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia — says the students are going too far.
He also hinted that he would lead a counter-protest, promising to return with a bigger crowd to defend the Sabah leadership.
Zulkarnain was also behind the counter-rally held by the Suara Mahasiswa UMS in December last year.
Alif cited Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Act, which lets police move counter-rallies elsewhere to prevent trouble.
Also present were fellow students Fidaa’ Ahmad Fahmi and Qistina Qaisara Syahril Akmar and Sudirman Arshad at the Kota Kinabalu police station. – June 16, 2025
