A university student leader from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) defended the controversial burning of a caricature of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, citing historical precedent set by Anwar himself during his activist days. The act, carried out during the recent Gempur Rasuah 2.0 rally in Kota Kinabalu, drew significant backlash, particularly from PKR Youth Chief Kamil Munim, who condemned the stunt as disrespectful and hollow.
Fadhil Kasim, president of Suara Mahasiswa UMS and a final-year student, explained that the symbolic burning mirrored a past protest led by Anwar in the 1970s. At the time, Anwar, then president of the Malay Language Society at Universiti Malaya, had organized a demonstration that involved burning the book 13 Mei: Sebelum dan Selepas by Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, labelling it subversive.
In a pointed response to critics, Fadhil asserted that if Anwar once used such acts as protest in his student days, then similar methods now should not be dismissed outright. He added that the backlash he and fellow activist Aliff Danial faced—mostly revolving around questions of manners and morality—failed to address the real frustration driving their protest: the lack of transparency and urgency in tackling Sabah’s corruption issues.
While Anwar once championed narratives highlighting corruption in Sabah—often referencing figures like Musa Aman and calling attention to timber and infrastructure scandals—Fadhil argued that those issues seem less pressing for the current administration. He implied that the Prime Minister's priority now appeared to be maintaining political alliances, particularly with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), rather than addressing the root problems plaguing the state.
Fadhil further noted that the government had previously dropped legal action against him and others for an earlier rally on December 31, 2024, signaling a pattern of student resistance met with institutional ambivalence.
In response to Kamil’s accusation that the protest lacked substance, Fadhil fired back, claiming that youth leaders aligned with the Prime Minister, such as Kamil and Deputy Minister Adam Adli, had lost sight of critical engagement in favor of loyalty and political ascent.
He concluded by emphasizing that while authorities seemed preoccupied with the burning image of their leader, the real crisis—Sabah’s corruption and basic needs like clean water—remained unresolved and ignored.
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