THE sounds of chanting and rhythmic beating of tom-tom drums echoed through downtown Kota Kinabalu’s busy weekend streets today, as the student-led anti-corruption protests began.
Around 40 demonstrators gathered outside Suria Sabah Mall from 1pm for the second “Gempur Rasuah Sabah” rally.
The protest, which began with a small group of student activists, steadily swelled to around 40 with some members of the public joining in around 1.30pm — surpassing the crowd from their initial protest held on December 31.
Clad in black and some in white, the group could be heard chanting anti-graft slogans, beating the drums, and calling for clean governance.
Their placards and rhythmic calls echoed through the city centre, demanding accountability and transparency from the state government.
The rally is scheduled to begin its march at 2.30pm, heading from Suria Sabah to Lintasan Deasoka near Gaya Street, where a 24-hour sit-in is expected.
Suara Mahasiswa’s stated objective is to pressure authorities to act on the corruption and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government to resolve problems such as poor water supply.
Their rally coincides with the official birthday of the Sabah’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Musa Aman, which was marked by a ceremonial parade earlier at Padang Merdeka.
But across town, a second group –Gerakan Anak Muda dan Mahasiswa Anak Sabah (Gammas) was already gathering near Lintasan Deasoka ahead of the arrival of Suara Mahasiswa.
Police noted there were about 60 rally goers from Gammas gathered at the said location where they would likely clash with the Gempur Rasuah group later.
While Gammas leaders insist their gathering is not a counter-rally, their objective – to express solidarity with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and “defend the integrity of the government” – puts them in direct ideological opposition to the anti-corruption demonstrators.
Unlike Suara Mahasiswa, which obtained police approval on June 18 to proceed with its protest, Gammas is believed to have gathered without notifying the authorities.
Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Kasim Muda confirmed that no official notice was received from the group and warned that legal action may be taken if the assembly is deemed unlawful.
“They’re just trying to provoke us,” claimed one Suara Mahasiswa member. “We’ve done everything by the book — they haven’t.”
The coming hours are expected to test not only the resolve of the student as they begin to march to Lintasan Deasoka where an opposing rally is also taking shape. – June 21, 2025
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