PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not wish for Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students involved in burning a caricature of him during a recent protest to be expelled from the institution, according to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
In a statement on Monday, Zambry said the Prime Minister believes that while the students' actions sparked controversy, their future and education must take precedence over excessive disciplinary measures.
“For the Prime Minister, they may have made a mistake, but their future and education are far more important and should be prioritised,” he said.
The protest, held on Sunday in Kota Kinabalu, was organised by a group calling itself the People’s Anti-Corruption Secretariat (Sekretariat Rakyat Benci Rasuah). The demonstration ended with students burning a banner featuring a caricature of Anwar as a form of protest.
Group spokesperson Fadhil Kasim said the caricature burning symbolised their opposition to the appointment of Tan Sri Musa Aman as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah. Musa had previously faced 46 criminal charges related to logging concessions in the state, although all charges were dropped and he was acquitted in June 2020.
Zambry added that any disciplinary action taken against the students must be grounded in the principles of justice and lawful freedom of expression.
“Disciplinary measures must consider legal rights to expression and fairness in process,” he said, underscoring the ministry’s commitment to upholding democratic values within academic institutions. - June 24, 2025
