Two university students and an activist were released on Monday evening after spending nearly nine hours in police custody, following their arrest earlier in the day over their involvement in a weekend anti-corruption rally.
Suara Mahasiswa UMS president Fadhil Kassim and fellow student Alif Danial were detained shortly after arriving at the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters around 11:00 local time. They had turned up voluntarily for a forensic inspection of a vehicle linked to a previous incident at the protest site.
The pair were later joined in custody by activist and UMS alumnus Sabir Syarifuddin, who was arrested after arriving at the station to check on their status.
All three had been involved in the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 protest, which was held over the weekend and ended with the symbolic burning of a placard bearing the prime minister’s image. The students had earlier lodged a police report after a substance, believed to be acid or paint remover, was thrown on one of their vehicles during the sit-in.
Speaking after his release, Fadhil said he was approached by a plainclothes officer upon arrival at the station and asked for his identification card without explanation.
“We came to cooperate. It was supposed to be just a forensic check on the vehicle.
“I asked several times if I was being detained. He eventually said yes — but didn’t say why,” he said.
Fadhil alleged that one officer grabbed his arm during the encounter, and said police officers quickly surrounded them inside the compound.
Alif was arrested moments later, while Sabir was detained around 11:45am.
The three were later informed that they were being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 — a colonial-era law frequently criticised by rights groups — as well as Section 509 of the Penal Code, which relates to insulting the modesty of a person.
They were also questioned under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
According to Fadhil, the group underwent two formal interviews before being taken to a separate room where officers from Bukit Aman attempted to record an Intelligence Statement (IS), which he described as inadmissible in court.
“We were advised by our legal counsel not to proceed with that statement. We complied with the statements required under Section 112, but we refused the rest,” he said.
The trio were released on police bail around 8pm. They have been instructed to return to the police station on 26 June for further questioning.
The university has not commented on whether disciplinary action will be taken. The protest organisers have said they are now planning a third rally. – June 24, 2025
