KOTA KINABALU, Dec 30 — Police have turned down the organisation of the ‘Gempur Rasuah Sabah’ assembly scheduled in front of Menara Kinabalu here tomorrow to maintain public order in the state.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the Sabah government will be organising the Carnival Ria programme at the same venue tomorrow, and he was told that the programme had received permission to organise it from the Kota Kinabalu City Hall.

Therefore, he said the police did not want a clash between the two programmes which could create an uneasy and unsafe atmosphere, especially for Carnival Ria visitors, including women, children and the elderly.

“We have rejected this assembly (Gempur Rasuah Sabah) based on the fact that it does not meet the conditions to be held in the area. The purpose of our rejection is to ensure peace, order and well-being of Carnival Ria visitors.

“I advise this group not to hold an assembly for the well-being of the community in the surrounding area. I also call on the public not to participate in the assembly,” he said at a press conference at the Sabah police contingent headquarters here today.

The secretariat of the gathering in a statement yesterday said the gathering was expected to attract up to 10,000 participants from all over the country, to voice their protest against the corruption crisis that is alleged to have tarnished the state’s reputation.

Jauteh said the group was advised to use the right channels if they had intentions or things to convey and not to use platforms that could disrupt public order.

Asked about the involvement of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students in the gathering, he said the UMS Student Representative Council (MPP) had denied their involvement.

Meanwhile, UMS in a statement announced that the gathering did not involve any entity in the university involved, including faculties, academies, centres, institutes and university staff.

“UMS provides a platform and channel for students to discuss current issues scientifically by prioritising facts and rational and ethical discourse,” he said. — Bernama