In a statement today, Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) chairman Zulkarnain Mahdar said he had received information that the Sabah police would charge him in court for organising and participating in the rally.

“The Sabah police should be taking Fahmi to court for insulting the Sabah governor, not the organisers of Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan.

“I promise to fight this in court,” he said.

The Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan rally was held in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 31, to counter the Gempur Rasuah Sabah rally held on the same day.

Fahmi was previously arrested by Sabah police to assist in an investigation into one of his satirical works. He has since been released.

Zulkarnain said Himpunan Bangkit Sabahan was held after a small group of Universiti Malaysia Sabah students held a rally that “attempted to pressure the Sabah chief minister into resigning, despite his non-involvement in bribery, and insulted the state governor”.

“G57 wishes to emphasise that the Bangkit Sabahan movement is not intimidated by the Sabah police’s legal action.

“It plans to hold an even larger peaceful assembly to defend the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan state government from slander,” he said.

Zulkarnain said G57 also planned to submit a memorandum of protest to the prime minister and Yang di-Pertuan Agong, urging their intervention to ensure fair treatment for peaceful assembly organisers in Sabah.