Malaysia’s Deputy PM Suggests Police Action Against Zunar For Exhibiting Cartoons In Geneva

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“It is a duty of a cartoonist to expose corruption and injustices” — Zunar

Left to right: Cartooning For Peace co-founder Plantu, Zunar and Kofi Annan

Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says he will leave it to the police to decide whether to take action against Zunar for exhibiting cartoons critical of Prime Minister Najib Razak in Geneva. Last week Malaysia’s Communications Minister Salleh Said Keruak said that Zunar’s cartoons targeting the scandal-plagued administration of Prime Minister Najib could be considered “economic sabotage.” Zunar was asked to exhibit his cartoons alongside those of East-African cartoonist Gado after the two cartoonists were presented the Cartooning For Peace Award from former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. The award is presented to cartoonists for “courage, talent and commitment to the values of peace and tolerance — as well as for their fight for freedom of expression.”

Zunar issued a press release in response to the Malaysian government’s new threats:

“For me, these are new plots by the authorities to silence me. For years, I have been subjected to all sorts of harassments and intimidations involving three laws — the Sedition Act, Printing & Presses Act and The Penal Code.

“I was arrested and put behind bars twice and am now facing nine charges under the Sedition Act and facing possible 43 years jail if found guilty.

“Seven of my books have been banned, my office was raided several times, the bookstores and printers were also raided. Thousands of books and original drawings and printing plates were confiscated, my sale assistants were arrested and so was my online sale manager.

“I would like to reiterate that: talent is not a gift, but a responsibility. It is a duty of a cartoonist to expose corruption and injustices. Freedom of expression is not a prerogative of the government, but it is my right!”

Zunar is past recipient of CRNI’s Courage In Editorial Cartooning Award, the International Press Freedom Award, and has twice been presented the Human Rights Watch Hellman/Hammett Award.

The cartoons on display in Geneva exhibition, including the work of other Cartooning For Peace members, can can be seen here. An educational supplement to the exhibition catalogue can be seen here.

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The short URL of the present article is: https://cartoonistsrights.org/srC4Q