PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said no legal or disciplinary action will be taken against Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students who burned a caricature of him during a protest in Kota Kinabalu in June.
He said the government views the incident, which was part of the “Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0” rally against the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah governor, as an expression of youthful dissent that should not jeopardise the students’ future.
“The government’s approach is to uphold freedom of expression, guided by compassion, and taking into account that the students have their education and future to prioritise,” he said in a written reply to the Parliament yesterday.
Anwar added that student activism should be encouraged as part of a healthy democratic process, provided it is carried out responsibly and based on facts.
“This incident is a reminder that the people expect reform agendas to be implemented comprehensively down to the grassroots.
“Within the framework of a democratic nation, the right to freedom of expression must continue to be respected, preserved, and guided so that it is channeled in a mature, responsible manner, and based on noble values in society,” he said.
The incident took place in June during a peaceful rally in Kota Kinabalu, where a group of students set fire to a banner depicting Anwar’s caricature.
The rally was organised by a group known as Sekretariat Rakyat Benci Rasuah as a protest against corruption and alleged failures of the government in fulfilling its institutional reform promises.