MORE than 80 people who had gathered for the #KamiMahuAir Sabah rally staged a sit-in after their demand to hand a memorandum to the chief minister was not met.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was not in the office at Menara Kinabalu when the rally goers arrived at about 3pm.
The group had earlier gone on a 4-kilometre walk from the university to the state administrative complex, Menara Kinabalu.
The rally, aimed at addressing water supply issues in Sabah, faced hurdles from the outset as police declined to issue a permit for the gathering.
Despite this, the group proceeded with their march, underscoring their commitment to the cause.
After several negotiations with the police, the group still insisted on handing over the memorandum to Hajiji personally.
They refused to budge even after Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya, who was at the state administrative complex, offered to receive it.
Tensions rose when Kota Kinabalu police chief Kassim Muda approached the rally goers, urging them to leave the vicinity.
Despite the presence of the police, and negotiations for them to disperse, the group stood firm in their resolve to highlight the issue of water scarcity in Sabah.
Kasim earlier reasoned with the group that Shahelmy has been appointed to receive the memorandum.
He told them the chief minister was only willing to meet them next week.
The group refused to heed all the requests.
The rally coordinator Mohammad Norhamdin said they plan to wait until the chief minister finally agrees to meet them.
"We will wait, no matter how long, maybe overnight. We will stay overnight if we have to. We are also prepared for the authorities to take action," he told reporters.
"Maybe we will continue until tomorrow morning. we will wait until the chief minister himself accepts our memorandum." – The Vibes, June 14, 2024
