The Gempur Rasuah 2.0 rally, organised by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students, took a controversial turn on June 21 (Saturday) when protesters set fire to a large placard.
The banner, which featured a cartoon depiction of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was burned alongside a bold message that read, “MADANI protector of Sabah corruption.”
“I burned Anwar’s face because I was following his example”
Suara Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) president Fadhil Kasim took to his X account to justify his actions and openly admitted to burning a caricature of Anwar.
In his post, he explained that his actions were inspired by Anwar himself, who had once burned a book written by Tunku Abdul Rahman during his student activism days in the 1970s.
“Anwar Ibrahim, during his student days, held demonstrations and burned a book written by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister of Malaysia at the time. While serving as President of PBMUM, Anwar and other student leaders staged a protest and burned the book ’13 Mei’ written by Tunku Abdul Rahman,” he wrote.
Fadhil added that they saw the book as “subversive,” which led Anwar and the PBMUM committee to hold a public protest where they symbolically buried and burned Tunku’s book in front of a crowd.
“My friend Aliff and I burned a caricature of Anwar Ibrahim at Lintasan Deasoka, Gaya Street. That act quickly drew heavy criticism from Anwar’s loyalists, who focused on our manners, morality, and how we conducted the protest. I’d like to think Anwar (after watching the video) would be touched and reminded of his days at University of Malaya in the 70s. But that’s just a feeling, my friend.”
“The chance to suck up and climb the ladder”
Fadhil criticised leaders of ABIM, AMK, and Anwar Ibrahim’s loyal supporters, saying they’ve completely missed the deeper nuance of who Anwar once was.
“For them, what matters most now is the chance to suck up and climb the ladder. Kamil Munim is the perfect example (alongside Adam Adli),” he added.
He also slammed them for losing touch with the true spirit of student activism, claiming they were more upset over a burned caricature of their idol than the real issues (the corruption affecting the rakyat or the water crisis at UMS).
“The reality is, Anwar is now the Prime Minister of Malaysia, not a student activist anymore.”
UMS has since broken its silence
Meanwhile, UMS has responded, denying any direct or indirect involvement in the incident. In their statement, they also said a police report will be filed, and the matter will be handed over to the authorities for further investigation.
“In addition to going against the norms of a peaceful assembly, UMS views the act as uncivilised, immature, and unreflective of the intellectual standards expected of students in a higher education institution. UMS also strongly condemns any action that poses potential harm not only to participants but also to the public.”
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