Sabah DCM slams ‘immature’ UMS students for refusing to hand over memo

About 80 Universiti Malaysia Sabah students marched about 3km to Menara Kinabalu to deliver a memorandum to chief minister Hajiji Noor. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Sabah deputy chief minister Shahelmey Yahya has branded students who took part in a protest over Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) water woes as “immature” after refusing to hand over to him a memorandum on the issue.

The protesters, numbering about 80, had insisted on handing the document to chief minister Hajiji Noor, and refused to move until they did so.

Shahelmey maintained that the Sabah government was open to accepting proposals and memorandums, and said he was delegated to receive the students’ memorandum, The Borneo Post reported.

“The protesters refused to give it to me, because they only wanted to hand it over to the chief minister. The chief minister was not at Menara Kinabalu, but he had informed me that he is willing to accept the memorandum with an appointment that can be set for next week.

“Early this afternoon, I was made to understand that they refused to make an appointment with the chief minister, and instead said the memorandum can be found on social media.

“This is immature. In any official government affair, they should know the ethics and rules, especially if you are dealing with the chief minister,” said Shahelmey, the state minister responsible for water issues.

On Friday, the protesters had marched about 3km from UMS to Menara Kinabalu to deliver the memorandum that highlighted UMS’s water woes.

The students refused to budge without Hajiji receiving the document, and spent about 17 hours camped outside Menara Kinabalu until Saturday morning before dispersing.

Meanwhile, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah information chief Joniston Bangkuai claimed the protesters were insincere and had ulterior motives in insisting on delivering the memorandum to Hajiji.

He pointed out that Warisan’s Youth wing had openly supported the protest, saying this raised questions about the group’s true intentions.

“Some demonstrators directed unkind remarks at the chief minister, suggesting a politically charged agenda rather than genuine concern for water issues,” he was reported to have said in a statement.