POLICE are investigating an incident involving an effigy resembling Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which was carried and symbolically whipped during the Himpunan Turun Anwar rally held in central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Acting Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad, said the matter is now being probed by the Classified Crime Investigation Unit (USJT) at Bukit Aman under Section 41 of the Sedition Act, Section 504 of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“The effigy was spotted near Masjid Negara, and we have recorded video footage as evidence,” Mohamed Usuf told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters on Monday.
“As we have made clear previously, if any misconduct occurs which breaches the law under any Act, we will take action,” he said.
Police have received four reports related to the rally. One pertains to the effigy and is under investigation by USJT, while the remaining three involve unauthorised drone activity and have been referred to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
Mohamed Usuf stressed that the use of drones was strictly prohibited during the event.
As of now, no police reports have been filed concerning the alleged distribution of extremist materials during the gathering.
“To date, there have been no police reports. If any are received, we will investigate,” he added.
The Himpunan Turun Anwar rally, held at Dataran Merdeka, reportedly drew a crowd of around 18,000 people.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirmed that security and crowd control measures were carried out in a professional and ethical manner.
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) deployed officers across key areas including Masjid Negara, Sogo shopping centre, Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni and Dataran Merdeka to ensure public safety and maintain order throughout the peaceful assembly. - July 28, 2025
