PM's image burned because attention seekers had no valid arguments: Kamil

Summary

• PKR Youth chief is not impressed with what he described as the protesters’ excessive yet hollow actions in burning PM’s image, saying they failed to convey their points.

• Kamil urges the student protesters to be smarter.

PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim has chastised student protesters in Sabah who burned a caricature of his boss, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Kamil - who is also Anwar's aide at the Finance Ministry - said the image burning was not just excessive and rude, but also showed that the protesters had no valid arguments to make.

"It endangered themselves and the public, failed to educate the public about what they wanted to get across, and most importantly, was a sign of failure in an exchange of points.

"Their points were not delivered effectively, just hollow acts that appeared brave to steal public attention," he said in a statement today.

"Ok, you have succeeded in getting attention, we can move past this. Now show yourselves and make smart arguments," Kamil (above) added.

The image burning capped off a student protest against graft in Kota Kinabalu, which lasted from yesterday afternoon to 11am today.

The image set aflame carried the text “Madani Pelindung Rasuah Sabah” (Madani Protector of Sabah Corruption).

Meant to be scathing critique

Secretariat Rakyat Benci Rasuah spokesperson Fadhil Kasim said the banner symbolised a scathing critique of Anwar’s administration, which the group claimed had failed to uphold promises of institutional reforms.

Anwar has been criticised, among others, for the appointment of Musa Aman as the Sabah governor.

In 2018, Musa was slapped with 46 criminal charges linked to timber concession contracts in the state.

However, he was acquitted and discharged of all charges when prosecutors withdrew the case against him in June 2020.

Meanwhile, Kamil told Malaysiakini that he would object to the burning stunt regardless of whose image was being set on fire.

"(I would reject the burning) of anyone's image. I personally reject this kind of approach," he said.

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