Counter rally to clash with anti-graft student protest on Sabah governor's birthday tomorrow
KOTA KINABALU, June 20 — A new pro-government youth movement is set to take to the streets of Kota Kinabalu this weekend to counter the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 anti-graft rally.
The Gerakan Anak Muda dan Mahasiswa Anak Sabah (Gammas) has announced its intention to hold a peaceful assembly on Gaya Street, explicitly to counter what it calls the 'misrepresentation' by the student activist group Suara Mahasiswa UMS, which is organising Gempur.
'The purpose of this gathering is not to rival the anti-corruption rally 2.0 organised by Suara Mahasiswa UMS, but rather to clarify to the public that the majority of students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) do not support the rally organised by Suara Mahasiswa UMS,' they said in a statement today.
While the Suara Mahasiswa protest is focused on government accountability and alleged mismanagement of funds, Gammas said they will be demonstrating in support of the state leadership under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the GRS-PH coalition government.
'The main objectives of the gathering is to express support for our chief minister and the GRS-PH government to continue leading Sabah, as they have shown strong commitment to student and youth welfare,' they said.
They outlined several benefits such as the Sentosa one-off RM300 assistance for students studying in Sabah, the Budi programme offering RM1,500–2,000 in cash aid for qualified tertiary education students, the Subfly flight ticket subsidy programme, public scholarships amounting to RM50 million and laptop assistance among others.
The group also voiced strong support for the monarchical institution in Sabah, claiming it is a unifying force in a multicultural state and criticising what it sees as attempts by Peninsular-based political actors to undermine it.
They said they submitted their notice of the rally to the Kota Kinabalu police on June 16.
The Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally was given the greenlight by police on June 18. They had announced their rally last month.
The rally is expected to begin on Saturday at 1.00pm in front of Suria Sabah shopping mall, with participants marching to Lintasan Deasoka, Gaya Street, and continuing the demonstration through Sunday.
Their demands include action on the Sabah Water Department scandal, institutional reforms for the anti-corruption commission and suspension of individuals accused of corruption.
The rallies coincide with the 74th official birthday celebration of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri tomorrow morning.
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