Police action against political cartoonist Zunar goes against the recent stand taken by the Court of Appeal on his work.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), an NGO, has called on the Home Ministry and the police to cease all harassment and investigation of political cartoonist Zunar, or Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, and his staff.
The NGO also wants the authorities to stop intimidating printers, publishers, vendors and bookstore owners partnering with the political cartoonist.
The NGO further called on the Home Ministry and police to return all books confiscated from Zunar and lift the ban on his works.
SUARAM pointed out that the police action against Zunar goes against the recent stand taken by the Court of Appeal on his work.
“The Court of Appeal took an unanimous stand and lifted a ban imposed by the Home Minister on two of Zunar’s cartoon books, Perak Darul Kartun and 1 Funny Malaysia, on grounds that they were not a threat to national security or prejudicial to public order,” said SUARAM Executive Director Yap Swee Seng in a statement.
Justice Mohamad Ariff, in his judgment, stated that the law should not be abused by the executive and that public odium cannot be so conveniently equated with public order, added Yap.
In 2011, Zunar was conferred, Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award, by Cartoonist Rights Network International, a cartoonists’ rights NGO based in Washington, USA.
In Oct 2014, one of Zunar’s books, Pirate of the Carry-BN, was accepted by the Library of Congress in Washington, USA.
KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), an NGO, has called on the Home Ministry and the police to cease all harassment and investigation of political cartoonist Zunar, or Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, and his staff.
The NGO also wants the authorities to stop intimidating printers, publishers, vendors and bookstore owners partnering with the political cartoonist.
The NGO further called on the Home Ministry and police to return all books confiscated from Zunar and lift the ban on his works.
SUARAM pointed out that the police action against Zunar goes against the recent stand taken by the Court of Appeal on his work.
“The Court of Appeal took an unanimous stand and lifted a ban imposed by the Home Minister on two of Zunar’s cartoon books, Perak Darul Kartun and 1 Funny Malaysia, on grounds that they were not a threat to national security or prejudicial to public order,” said SUARAM Executive Director Yap Swee Seng in a statement.
Justice Mohamad Ariff, in his judgment, stated that the law should not be abused by the executive and that public odium cannot be so conveniently equated with public order, added Yap.
In 2011, Zunar was conferred, Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award, by Cartoonist Rights Network International, a cartoonists’ rights NGO based in Washington, USA.
In Oct 2014, one of Zunar’s books, Pirate of the Carry-BN, was accepted by the Library of Congress in Washington, USA.
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