Najib Razak

Zunar receives compensation from Malay gov’t

Supporters of cartoonist Zunar were cheered to hear of a small but significant victory in his ongoing legal battles with the government, ruling political party, judiciary and police force in Malaysia today.

He has won financial compensation for damage to personal property during a police raid on his office.  As he explains, of more importance than the sum awarded is the message this decision sends to those in the country who continue to suppress freedom of expression.

The full text reads:

“The government of Malaysia, bound by the court order today has agreed to pay RM18,000 (about USD 4,000) as a compensation for destroying my orginal political cartoon seven years ago. When the police raided my office and arrested me under the Sedition Act on 24th September 2010, they laso confiscated the drawing which depicted PM Najib and his wife Rosmah, along with then newly-published book “Cartoon-O-Phobia”.

In November 2014, upon my suit, the Court of Appeal maintained the decision by the High Court in July 2012 which had instructed the police to return the drawing and the books to me.  The original drawing was badly damaged when I received it.

STATEMENT

1. The confiscation of cartoon artworks under the criminal law the Sedition Act is a gross violation of  cartoonist’s rights and freedom of expression.

2. To keep the artwork under the police custody for five years and damaging it is a more serious offence. It is clearly an act of intimidation and lack of respect of the work of art.

3. Today’s decision is not about the quantum, but as a lesson to the police and the Malaysian government that using criminal law arbitrarily to confiscate and destroy cartoon works is unacceptable, and was done in bad faith. It is also a clear proof that my book’s title, “Cartoon-O-Phobia” is a right word to discribe the character of the Malaysian government.

4. I would also like to remind that there are currently more than 40 of my cartoon works still under police custody in Penang since November 2016, which are also being investigated under the Sedition Act. I will take legal action for the police to return them at they are. The has to be responsible for damages, if any.

5. This goes the same for the 1,300 books which was confiscated by the Kuala Lumpur police, also in November 2016, because according to the police, it is “Detrimental to Parliamentary Democracy.”

Zunar’s damages relate to the incidents that first brought him to CRNI’s attention and earned him our Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award in 2011.

At the end of this week Zunar is due to hear a judge’s decision on his challenge to his on-going travel ban.

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network International

Zunar in court: hearing proceeds

Malaysian cartoonist and CRNI Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award winner Zunar reports that he’ll be in court next week to contest his ongoing travel ban.

The hearing follows the recusal of a judge in February.  Despite the multiple restrictions placed upon him Zunar continues to draw and distribute cartoons focusing on Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor and the excesses of their government. Readers of this blog will know that Zunar’s cartoons have drawn the ire of various figures of authority, from cabinet minsters to the inspector general of police, as well as ruling party loyalists.

A fellow cartoonist in Malaysia criticised Zunar at an event earlier this week, saying his focus is too narrow.  CRNI’s friend and colleague Prof. Dr Muliyadi Mahamood was there to provide context for Zunar’s choice of subject matter.

Zunar has published his own riposte, saying:

“This is what cartoonists around the world do – exposing corruptions and injustices. I do not create trouble, I am just performing my duty. The authorities are the ones who cause trouble because they cannot laugh at themselves when the read my cartoons. That said, that is their problem, for I do not change my style in any way to accommodate them. In a country where the freedom of expression is limited and the muzzling of mainstream medias is at large, cartoons can be a tool to tell the truth because it is one of the most powerful media to break the hegemony.”

UPDATE: Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed 14 April as the date for a decision on Judicial Review of Zunar’s leave application, this being the first step before the main challenge can be proceed.

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network International

Zunar in court: judge recuses self

It’s been a few weeks since we reported on the status of Zunar, the Malaysian cartoonist currently challenging state-sponsored censorship on multiple fronts: a travel ban; multiple charges of sedition; and harassment by police and supporters of the government.

Zunar has provided an update on his latest court action, as follows:

High Court Judge, Justice Hanipah Farikullah today agreed to recuse herself from hearing my case, challenging the travel ban imposed by the Malaysian government. Fearing biased judgment, I filed a bid to remove the judge.

This is after I filed the application on the ground that she had previously decided to deny the challenge by two other activists who challenged their travel bans under the same law.

In her previous judgement, she said that it was not a constitutional right for a Malaysian to travel abroad, and that the immigration department has the rights to allow or deny the citizens traveling overseas

There was no objection from the AG Chamber on the application. The court will inform the date for the next session.

On 7th Dec 2016, I filed a leave application for a judicial review to challenge the Immigration Department’s decision barring me from travelling overseas. I named the Immigration Director-General, Home Minister and the government as respondents.

I am seeking a certiorari order to quash the travel restriction by the respondents, which was informed to me orally at KLIA airport on 17th October 2016. The order seeks to review that the travel ban violates the Article 5 (1), Article 8 and/or Article 9 of the Federal Constitution, therefore to declare that the ban is null, void and unconstitutional.

I am also seeking a mandamus order from the court to instruct the respondents to allow me to travel overseas without restrictions.

On 17th October 2016, I was at the KL International Airport leaving for Singapore to attend a forum when I was stopped by the immigration officers.

Last week, I was unable to travel to Switzerland for the launch of my exhibition in Morges due to the travel ban.

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network International

Zunar arrested for 2nd time in 3 weeks

UPDATE: Zunar is following police instructions pertaining to his recent arrests in both Penang and Kuala Lumpur while legal challenges to the charges against him continue.

UPDATE: Zunar has been released and wrote to supporters as follows:

Today, 17 dec 2016, I was arrested again by the police during my fund-raising program with the fans. The purpose of this fund-raising is to recover the loss that I had with my previous exhibition where twenty (20) of my paintings were confiscated by the police and taken into their custody, causing losses of estimated USD10,000.00.
Today the police also confiscated more than 1,000 books which involved twelve (12) titles, causing another losses of estimated USD10,000.00.  Two of my assistants were arrested together with two fans. We were taken to the police station and investigated under Section 124 of the Penal Code for being detrimental to parliamentary democracy, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
I was questioned for almost 6 hours and released under bail at midnight. I would have to report back to the police station on the 30 Dec 2016.
According to the police, they will apply a law to ban all my books.
This is my second arrest within three (3) weeks. On 25th Nov 2016, I was arrested under the Sedition Act.
This adds up to the long list of harrassments and intimidation by the Malaysian government to me.
The pattern is directly proportionate to the increased level of corruption and injustices in Malaysia. Corrupt government fears cartoons.
I would like to point out my stand: talent is not a gift, but a responsibility. It is my responsibility as a cartoonist to expose corruption and injustices. Do I fear jail? Yes, but responsibility is bigger that fear. You can ban my books, you can ban my cartoons, but you cannot ban my mind. I will keep drawing until the last drop of my ink.

The police comment about a blanket ban on all books is of particular and grave concern and taken together with the incidents mentioned above and detailed below it seems clear that the Malaysian state is now intent upon the destruction of Zunar’s career.

Malaysian cartoonist Zunar’s Twitter feed confirms that he was placed under arrest during a public event today in Kuala Lumpur.


Zunar is contesting legal battles on multiple fronts and had been in the midst of a fund-raising Saturday afternoon tea party with supporters, hence the additional seizure of books worth about $6.5k, a clear attempt to deny him income and in itself a well-worn tactic employed against him by agents of the state over the last decade.

As we have reported of late, Zunar is currently unable to leave Malaysia, was placed under police arrest at the end of November after an exhibition in Penang was disrupted by pro-government protestors and he is preparing for a court appearance  to challenge the Sedition Act, the ultimate weapon of the Malaysian government which is seeking to imprison him for the rest of his natural life.

Zunar’s recent woes precipitated a statement of solidarity from several of the world’s leading editorial cartoonists; this latest instance of harassment will only redouble the outrage felt by his colleagues. One again CRNI calls for his immediate release and safety in which to continue speaking truth to power.

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network

To Donate to Cartoonist Rights Network Click Here

Cartooning For Peace pays tribute to Zunar

crni-logo

At an event held last night at the Society of Illustrators in New York, celebrating a decade of  Cartooning For Peace, the following statement was made in solidarity with Zunar, whose recent difficulties are covered at length in our prior blog posts:

1/ We, cartoonists, are proud to support our colleague Zunar, a courageous and recognized cartoonist of Malaysia who has received the 2016 Cartooning for Peace Award of the City of Geneva on May 3rd in Switzerland, to mark World Press Freedom Day.

2/ By drawing and commenting on current affairs with talent, impertinence and humor, cartoonists fully and beautifully exercise freedom of expression, and thereby, extend our own freedom. Zunar, like other editorial cartoonists who are threatened, imprisoned or forced to flee into exile because of their drawings, deserves the full support of the international community.

3/ We call upon the Malaysian authorities to immediately end the continued harassment of cartoonist Zunar. Zunar’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom of movement must be respected, according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights signed by Malaysia.

4/ We join International and Human Rights NGOs and call upon the Malaysian authorities to lift the travel ban on Zunar with immediate effect and to drop the numerous sedition charges against him.

5/ We pay tribute to Zunar and other editorial cartoonists for their courage to work and draw under very difficult circumstances in many regions of the world.

Cartooning For Peace

Patrick Chappatte

Jeff Danziger

Lisa Donnelly

Ann Telnaes

Nicola Vado

Cartoonists Rights Network International

Dr Robert Russell

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network

To Donate to Cartoonist Rights Network Click Here

Zunar continues court battle against Malay gov’t

The Malay Mail reports that Zunar is set to file suit against the travel ban imposed upon him mid-October.

zunar-freedom-of-movement

It has been an extraordinary two months for the Malaysian cartoonist.

At the end of November a public exhibit of his work in Penang was disrupted by pro-government vandals and eventually cancelled. Shortly thereafter Zunar was arrested, seemingly at the behest of a local official.  An investigation into the incident is ongoing and Zunar will have to return for further questioning in January.

The Inspector General of Police recently stated that Zunar should draw “nice” cartoons, for example Donald Duck, if he doesn’t want to fall foul of the law. His response features his usual bêtes noires, prime minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor.

zunar-donald-duck

The background to all of the above is the Malaysian government’s long-standing sedition case against Zunar which he is likewise seeking to overturn with a formal legal challenge in the new year.

With regard to his application for a judicial review against the travel ban, he says:

“The grounds of the challenge are that there is no reason given by the authorities for the travel ban, and there is no court order barring me from leaving the country. Hence, this arbitrary banning is an abuse of power and a breach of natural justice and the Federal Constitution.”

CRNI reiterate our support for Zunar in the face of continual harassment and call for an end to his persecution by agents of the state.

 To Report a Cartoonist in Danger  Email Cartoonists Rights Network

To Donate to Cartoonist Rights Network Click Here

CRNI
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Our awards-giving partners, Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, Geneva

Categories

GDPR

Visitors to this site based in the EU – please be aware this site uses Cookies. Full details in our Privacy Policy.

CARTOONISTS RIGHTS
DEFENDING CARTOONISTS ON THE FRONTLINES OF FREE SPEECH