Low turnout not a failure, say Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally’s organisers

PETALING JAYA: The Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally’s organisers have blamed its low turnout on police warnings and agent provocateurs.

Rally coordinator Fadhil Kasim said although only about 50 people attended the rally, it was not a failure as their spirit remains strong.

“People were afraid of attending the rally as the state police commissioner had deemed the gathering illegal.

“This is unconstitutional, because as per the law, we are merely required to inform the police of our peaceful assembly.

“There were also rumours that riot police would be on the streets by the hundreds, further scaring people away,” he told FMT.

Yesterday, the organisers said they expected up to 10,000 people from all over the country to protest against a corruption crisis which they claimed had hit Sabah.

Fadhil said the programme was ongoing and would continue up to 1am as planned, with livestreaming on TikTok.

Earlier, it was reported that another rally, Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan, proceeded at the same location as the Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally.

Both rallies kicked off at 2pm in front of Menara Kinabalu, which also coincided with the state government’s Karnival Ria event at the same venue.

Bernama had earlier reported that about 200 participants of Gempur Rasuah Sabah, organised by Suara Mahasiswa, gathered at Universiti Malaysia Sabah and marched approximately 3.4km to Menara Kinabalu, arriving at 3.10pm.

The Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan rally dispersed about an hour later, while Gempur Rasuah Sabah participants remained in the area until late at night.