Gempur Rasuah Sabah organisers confirm rally route, cite Federal Court ruling in decision not to submit police notice

KOTA KINABALU, July 3 — Organisers of the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 3.0 anti-corruption protest have confirmed that participants will assemble at Suria Sabah on Saturday before marching through the city centre to Dataran Todak Waterfront.

In a statement released ahead of the event, the organisers announced that the gathering would begin at 2pm in front of Suria Sabah, followed by a procession passing several checkpoints including the Kota Kinabalu flyover, Centre Point, Anjung Kinabalu and Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu before concluding at Dataran Todak Waterfront.

According to promotional materials circulated online, the two-day programme is scheduled to take place on July 4 and 5 under the banner of Gempur Rasuah Sabah 3.0.

The organisers also confirmed that they would not be submitting a notice of assembly to the police, citing a Federal Court decision delivered in June 2025 which declared Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 unconstitutional.

They said the provision had previously imposed penalties on organisers who failed to notify the police at least five days before holding an assembly.

The statement noted that a five-member Federal Court panel led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat ruled that the subsection was inconsistent with the constitutional right to assemble peacefully as guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

“As a result of the decision, failure to submit a five-day notice is no longer a criminal offence,” the organisers said.

The group also urged the Kota Kinabalu district police to carefully study the legal position before issuing statements on the matter, warning that inaccurate information could potentially confuse the public.

The latest announcement comes amid heightened attention surrounding the rally after reports that Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) executive director Asraf Sharafi was barred from entering Sabah upon arriving at Kota Kinabalu International Airport earlier this week.

Gempur Rasuah Sabah was first launched by youth activists and civil society groups calling for stronger action against corruption and greater transparency in governance.

The organisers have yet to disclose the expected number of participants for this weekend’s gathering. — The Borneo Post