Pro-govt group to sue Sabah anti-graft rally organiser, participants

Summary

• A pro-government group is set to file a RM5 million lawsuit against the Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally for alleged defamation against Sabah leaders.

• The rally, meant to highlight alleged corruption in the state government, drew only 80 participants, and its organiser was called to resign.

The Sekretariat Gerakan Bangkit Sabahan group announced it will be filing a RM5 million lawsuit against the organisers and participants of the Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally on Dec 31.

According to Daily Express, the group said its legal team is currently gathering information to facilitate the delivery of letters of demand, with actions expected to include artist Fahmi Reza.

“The legal team is also investigating allegedly defamatory statements made during the rally against Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, (Sabah governor) Musa Aman, and the GRS-Pakatan Harapan Sabah government,” it added.

The group said it plans to file additional lawsuits through native courts across Sabah to show that defamatory actions have consequences.

“We anticipate that the (UMS) student group may receive legal representation from Warisan lawyers and urge Sabahans to evaluate the group’s true agenda critically,” it added.

The group also called on the chairperson and committee members of Suara Mahasiswa UMS to resign due to the poor turnout at the rally.

“Despite support from opposition political parties in Sabah and several Peninsula Malaysia NGOs, the rally failed to meet its target of 10,000 participants, drawing only 80 attendees.

“In contrast, a concurrent peaceful assembly, Perhimpunan Aman Bangkit Sabahan, attracted 1,500 participants, which organisers say demonstrates Sabahan public and student support for Hajiji’s leadership and the current government,” it added.

On Monday, the organiser of the Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally filed a report against pro-Hajiji organisation Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia over claims that protesters were paid to provoke unrest.

The anti-corruption rally organiser has repeatedly denied having links with political parties.

The Sabah state government has come under the microscope after a businessperson revealed a series of videos and Whatsapp messages accusing the administration of corruption in issuing mineral exploration licences.

The appointment of Musa, the state’s longest-serving chief minister, as governor had also courted flak from various quarters.

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