KOTA KINABALU: The organisers of the recent Perhimpunan Aman Gempur Rasuah Sabah lodged a police report against Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar for allegedly making false claims that participants were paid by a political party to incite unrest.
The group, known as Suara Mahasiswa, lodged the report at the Tanjung Aru Police Station on Saturday (Jan 4).
Led by coordinator Muhamad Fadhil Muhamad Kasim, the group urged authorities to investigate Zulkarnain’s allegations. Zulkarnain is the chairman of Gerakan Kuasa Malaysia (G57).
In his report, Fadhil stated that he encountered the accusation while reviewing a 28-minute 17-second video, broadcast live by a Sabah news portal on Dec 30, 2024.
"At the 6:10 mark, Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar falsely accused us, the participants, of being paid by a political party to provoke unrest during the assembly," said Fadhil.
He further mentioned reading a Dec 31, 2024 report on another news portal titled "Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan Tidak Capai Sasaran Susulan Masalah Permit."
The report featured similar allegations by Zulkarnain, claiming the assembly was orchestrated by opposition parties from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
Muhamad Fadhil described the allegations as defamatory, stating they tarnished the reputation of the organisers, participants, and supporters, who were mainly students and concerned citizens advocating for justice and opposing corruption.
"We lodged the report with the intent of pursuing legal action through a defamation suit, as well as requesting police investigation and further action," he said when contacted.
Suara Mahasiswa, consisting of students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), organised the anti-corruption rally in front of Menara Kinabalu on Dec 31, 2024.
Following the event, UMS issued a statement clarifying that the rally was not officially sanctioned by the university or any of its entities.
However, the university advised students to adhere to relevant laws and follow instructions from the authorities.
Meanwhile, Zulkarnain lodged a police report at Kepayan Police Headquarters on Friday (Jan 3) against an individual and UMS students involved in the rally, claiming they were supporters of the opposition Parti Warisan.
He further alleged the report was made because the individuals involved had malicious intent, aiming to demean and insult the Governor of Sabah, Tun Musa Aman.
