Cops seize Zunar’s cartoon books on Rosmah ahead of launch

Police today confiscated copies of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque's satire on the prime minister's wife, ahead of its planned launching today in Petaling Jaya.

The cartoonist, better known as Zunar, told the crowd gathered for the launch at 10am that police took away copies of the book while they were being transported to the venue at the Taman Jaya lake. The event started three hours late as a result.

He said the police stopped staff of the printing company bringing the books before taking away some 200 copies.

"The books have been confiscated by the police on their way here. Only a few copies are here," he said.

He then told people that they could still buy the books online and started receiving orders.

"ROS in Kangkongland" is a collection of cartoons on Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Zunar said his latest work is dedicated to Rosmah because he was inspired by her.

"This book is about Rosmah, Rosmah is my 'idol'. She gives me a lot of inspiration," he said at the launch.

"Every time she opens her mouth, I'm inspired, whenever she keeps quiet, I don't get any inspiration."

Zunar, whose previous works were banned, is under police investigation for sedition.

He was released yesterday after three days in remand for posting on his Twitter account a critical remark about the judiciary, following the jailing of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on February 10.

Zunar said that every time he was detained, the printing company that printed his books would also be raided.

When he was arrested earlier this week, the printer of "ROS in Kangkongland" decided to halt work on the book, he said.

The printing company, which he did not name, resumed printing after he was released from remand yesterday.

Zunar said the police's actions would not stop him from continuing his work as a satire cartoonist.

"I will give a clear message to them, that I will never stop. I will continue to fight through cartoons, to overthrow a cartoon government," he said.

He also said he was prepared to be charged since he was already under investigation for sedition.

"I expect this, I'm already prepared for the worst as a political cartoonist in Malaysia when you fight an oppressive government," he said.

Zunar said he expected police reports to be lodged against his new book on Rosmah and that any moves to penalise him for his cartoons would only make Malaysia a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community.

He said the government's actions against him made Putrajaya itself look like a cartoon.

"I hope one day this government will be finally kicked out by cartoonists, because it is a cartoon government."

He said he had drawn cartoons of the judiciary because the courts were "the last defenders of a democratic country".

"If you have an independent judiciary, people still have hope.

"But if you don't have, nobody will protect us anymore," he said.

Also present at the book launch were Batu MP Tian Chua from PKR, and indelible ink whistle-blower, former air force major Zaidi Ahmad.

Zaidi, who was to have launched the book, said Malaysians had to make a stand against an unjust government. – February 14, 2015.

Polis berpangkat ‘tiga paku’ tahan Zunar

Anggota polis memberitahu bahawa penahanan ini dilakukan atas arahan orang atasan kerana posting beliau di laman sosial, Twitter

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Empat orang pegawai polis berkumpul di hadapan rumah kartunis, Zulkiflee SM Anwar UlHaque untuk menahannya ekoran tweetnya di laman sosial Twitter.

Beliau yang lebih dikenali sebagai Zunar memberitahu wartawan Free Malaysia Today(FMT) bahawa akan ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Polis Dang Wangi dan percaya akan tidur di lokap pada malam ini.

“Saya didatangi empat orang polis diketuai oleh seorang anggota berpangkat tiga paku bernama Muniandi.

“Mereka berpakaian preman kecuali seorang anggota polis berpangkat ‘tiga paku’ yang berpakaian ‘highlight’,”ujarnya.

Ketika dihubungi FMT pada lewat petang semalam, Zunar mengakui kesemua anggota polis berada di pintu pagar luar rumahnya yang terletak di Pantai Dalam.

“Anggota polis itu memberitahu bahawa penahanan ini dilakukan atas arahan orang atasan kerana tweet di Twitter,” ujarnya lagi.

Penahan itu dipercayai susulan arahan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar kepada pihak Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) untuk menyiasat Zunar dan juga dua orang lagi Ahli Parlimen yang lain, iaitu Ahli Parlimen Pandang, Rafizi Ramli dan juga Ahli Parlimen Taiping, Nga Kor Ming

Khalid melalui laman Twitter berkata polis perlu menyiasat segera kenyataan Zunar di laman berkenaan.

Terdahulu, kartunis itu dalam tulisannya di Twitter menyebut: “Barua berjubah hitam bangga jatuhkan hukuman. Habuan dari tuan politik pasti lumayan.”

Zunar gets UN boost as Putrajaya bids to hush him

While Putrajaya has repeatedly tried to silence Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque - better known as Zunar - the United Nation (UN) is giving the cartoonist a platform to speak to the world.

Zunar, who has faced multiple raids and had his cartoon books confiscated, said he has been invited to speak as a panelist at a UN forum in Geneva on Friday.

"In my speech, I will reaffirm my stand that the freedom of expression for artists - including cartoonists - is paramount and cannot be compromised.

"I will also touch on the lack of commitment from the UN to protect artists - hence giving more power to corrupt regimes and extremist bigots to be more repressive towards artists," he said in a Facebook posting.

The forum is titled, ‘Defending Artistic Expression: Time for the UN to Act’ and is part of the UN Human Rights Council Session and jointly organised by Article 19, a London-based human rights group.

Zunar's office was last Wednesday raided by the police and three titles totalling 155 books confiscated as part of a sedition probe.

The probe was initiated after authorities arrested Zunar's staff for selling his books titled, ‘Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar’ (Conspiracy to Jail Anwar) and ‘Pirates of the Carry-BN’ during Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's (right) Sodomy II appeal.

Meanwhile, New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Putrajaya to "halt the legal harassment" of Zunar.

"Instead of threatening critics with an outdated sedition law, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should be working to scrap the legislation, as he once vowed to do," said the CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative.

Declare Jan 7 ‘World Cartoonist Day’, says Zunar

Zunar condemns the brutal killing of cartoonists by terrorists in Paris saying everybody has the right to criticise any party through their work.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Local cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar, has publicly condemned the cold-blooded killing of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo office, four of them satirical cartoonist like himself, by three gunmen in Paris yesterday.

In a statement, Zunar also said January 7 should be declared “World Cartoonist Day” in memory of their editor Stéphane Charbonnier, and cartoonists Cabu, Wolinski and Tignous who all died at the brutal hands of terrorists.

Condemning the act, Zunar said, “Acts of violence, barbarity and brutality are against Islamic teaching.”

He also said everyone had the right to criticise whosoever they pleased by any means of their choice.

“My stand is clear — every cartoonist should be allowed to criticise parties through his/her cartoons. Any disagreement over the said cartoons should be responded to in a civilised manner, i.e intellectual discourses, open debates and other civilised damage-control methods.

“Even though we do not agree with the contents, we should respect the cartoonists’ right to express their views,”

Saying acts of terror were unacceptable in a civilised world, Zunar added, “In regard to Islamic content issues, as a Muslim myself, I would like to challenge Muslim authorities around the world to work closer with cartoonists to produce cartoons that can show the true image of Islam — a religion of peace, tolerance and moderation.”

According to Reuters, an 18-year old man sought by police over the shootings handed himself voluntarily to police in northeastern France.

Police are hunting three French nationals, including brothers Said Kouachi, born in 1980; Cherif Kouachi, born in 1982; and Hamyd Mourad born in 1996.

The official, who declined to identify the man, said he had turned himself in at a police station in Charleville-Mézières, in northeastern France at around 2300 GMT.

Police demand list of Zunar's online customers

 

In the sedition investigation against political cartoonist Zunar, the police have asked the online payment gateway that handles his book transactions to disclose the list of customers who have purchased his book.

In the email that was sent by MOLPay Sdn Bhd to the cartoonist, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anuar Ulhaque, it stated that they received a formal letter from Bukit Aman to disclose the list of customers.

“PDRM has sent a formal request for MOLPay Sdn Bhd to provide the online payment receipt of customers who have purchased the said book via your website www.zunar.my in which MOLPay has no choice but to furnish them with the requested details,” the email from MOLPay stated.

The book in question is "Komplot Penjarakan Anwar" (Plot to jail Anwar) which the police alleged of containing seditious material.

However, Zunar’s lawyer Latheefa Koya (left) said that the police in their probe today told her client that his books did not contain anything incriminating.

The police are probing Zunar under Section 8(2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, and Section 500 of the Penal Code  after two separate police reports were made against him.

According to Zunar’s lawyer Latheefa, the police stated that the first report was regarding the confiscation of his books at Putrajaya during the recent opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial on November 6.

Latheefa also said that the second report which probes him for the Sedition Act 1948 was made later at the HS Lee police station and was lodged by a policeman.

The second report does not specify what he is being probed for, said Latheefa.

---

KAMLES KUMAR is a trainee reporter with Malaysiakini.

Malaysia Bans Books

This is a watchbird, watchng you

Making fun of the government is not allowed
A Malaysian High Court judge has upheld the banning of books by a popular political cartoonist for the online news site Malaysiakini and by a columnist closely connected to the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The ban, requested by Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein under the country’s Printing Presses and Publications Act, is on two books by the cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaq, known by his pen name Zunar, and a third by columnist Yong Thye Chong, who writes under the pen name Kim Quek.

The authors’ lawyers argued that the ban violated the right to freedom of speech, which is guaranteed under the country’s federal constitution, was not implemented fairly because the authors weren’t given the chance to explain themselves before the ban was made, and weren’t told the reasons for it.

However, Justice Rohaya Yusuf, in delivering her decision, said Hishammuddin was correct in banning the books if the court “takes into view the sensitivities surrounding the country.”

The Printing Presses and Publications Act, passed in 1984, has long been under fire by press critics who say it has curtailed freedom of speech, restricted political discourse and silenced political opponents. The critics say the act allows the home affairs minister virtually total control over the print media.

Newspapers and other periodicals must apply for the renewal of their licenses annually, giving the minister the power to ban them according to his discretion. All of the conventional media are owned by political parties, with the biggest newspapers owned by the United Malays National Organization and the Malaysian Chinese Association, the two biggest components of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. While opposition parties also own newspapers, they are not allowed to circulate freely.

As a result, the country ‘s bloggers have developed one of the strongest online presences in Southeast Asia, with several strong websites including Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Today, run by gadfly Raja Petra Kamarudin. The blogs were given credit for playing a major role in the upset March 2008 election that broke the 50-year two-thirds hold of the Barisan on the Dewan Rakyat, or national parliament.

The decision to uphold the ban was assailed by the Committee for Independent Journalism in Kuala Lumpur, which said in a press release that the two cases “illustrate yet again how the vagueness of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, especially in defining problematic phrases and terms, such as ‘prejudicial to public order,’ as well as the overbroad powers the law grants the Home Minister, continue to pose a formidable challenge to freedom of expression in Malaysia.”

Kim Quek’s book, “The March to Putrajaya,” was originally ordered banned by Hishammuddin on September 30, 2010, allegedly for inciting hatred against the constitution. Although Kim is a Malaysiakini commentator, he is a supporter of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, headed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. The Home Ministry’s secretary general, Mahmood Adam, said the book is “not suitable for general reading,” containing what he called “elements of baseless accusations and speculations” against national leaders and could incite public hatred and anger.”

Illustrating the porosity of the ban, the 375-page book, a collection of Kim’s columns, is readily available on the Internet at http://www.mediafire.com/?yxy1yzc73lkl5cl. The author has offered it for free for those who wish to download it.

Most of the material in the books has long been available. “1 Funny Malaysia" is a collection of cartoons that Zunar published in the column Cartoonkini on the Malaysiakini news site between 2005 and 2009. "Perak Darul Kartun" is published by Zunar's own company, Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, and features the works of Zunar and several other local cartoonists and writers.

Dismissing the request for review of the ban filed by Zunar's publisher Malaysiakini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, Yusuf said she did not find the decisions to ban the books “to be in defiance of logic that it is arbitrarily made, or that it is based on improper facts. Because of this public order issue, there is therefore a need to restrict fundamental liberties provisions guaranteed under the federal constitution."

Both Zunar and Kim said they would appeal the decision to the highest level possible although both added that they were skeptical that higher courts would rule in their favor.

"The Malaysian courts are like the atmosphere,” Kim Quek told reporters. “The higher you go up, the less oxygen there is."

Despite the ban, Zunar's other books are available from Kinibooks, including his latest title 'Even My Pen Has a Stand'.

In a prepared statement, Kim Quek said the judgment “cannot help but convey the unmistakable signal that the present political hold on the judiciary to deliver what the political masters want is intact. It means that Malaysians will continue to be denied their fundamental liberties guaranteed under Part Two of the Constitution – which include the freedom of expression – through abuse of power by the Executive, which will be ultimately protected from legal accountability by a compliant judiciary.”

Buku kartun Najib tonjol Cina berhidung babi

Penulis buku ialah bekas wartawan Utusan Malaysia dan setiausaha akhbar Perdana Menteri.

PETALING JAYA: Sebuah buku kartun bertajuk ‘Transformasi Najib’ nukilan Akmar Hisham Mokhles merupakan bahan terbaru yang memperkecilkan masyarakat minoriti di Malaysia.

Kali ini masyarakat Cina menjadi sasaran. Watak anggota masyarakat Cina digambarkan sebagai bermata sepet dan berhidung babi.

“Watak Cina dalam buku ini sengaja digambarkan dengan hidung babi. Seseorang tidak sepatutnya sengaja melukis dengan sedemikian rupa sedangkan etnik lain di dalam buku karikatur ini tidak digambarkan sedemikian,” kata Helen Ang kepada FMT.

“Jika anda melihat bahan propaganda berbahasa Melayu dalam Internet, anda akan melihat gambaran masyarakat Cina yang berbaur perkauman ini,” tambah Helen yang juga seorang bekas wartawan yang berpengalaman.

Menurutnya, buku kartun ‘Transformasi Najib’ diedarkan kepada semua peserta yang menghadiri Persidangan Pemblog Malaysia – Rantau Asean pertama dalam bulan April tahun ini.

Buku setebal 109 halaman terbitan Qalif Umar Creative ini mengisahkan kisah hidup Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan pembaharuan sosio-ekonomi dan politik yang diperkenalkan di bawah pentadbirannya.

Buku terbitan Qalif Umar Creative telah pun dicetak empat kali.
Carian di dalam Internet menunjukkan Akmar merupakan bekas wartawan Utusan Malaysia yang kini bertugas sebagai setiausaha akhbar Najib.

Sementara itu, Helen turut mendakwa bahawa usaha memperkecilkan kaum minoriti ini bukan kes terasing.

“Ia merupakan sebahagian dari trend yang lebih besar,” katanya sambil merujuk kepada kes Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sekinchan Ng
Suee Lim, yang digambarkan dengan hidung babi dalam laman blog pro-Umno, Sungai Rapat Online dan juga Namewee yang turut digambarkan dengan hidung babi oleh Perkasa tidak lama dahulu.

“Trend tersebut membimbangkan saya kerana ia merupakan satu percubaan untuk mendoktrinasi anak muda bahawa kaum minoriti hodoh dan orang asing, seperti mana yang dimuatkan dalam novel kontroversi Interlok edisi murid,” katanya ketika ditanya mengapa perkara baru ini diketengahkan kepada media.
FMT cuba menghubungi Akmar beberapa kali melalui telefon tetapi beliau  gagal dihubungi.

WARNING

When a rotten egg cracks

By Stanley Koh - Free Malaysia Today,

COMMENT Astrologers avow that the Age of Aquarius is an era of spiritual awakening. But has mankind really entered or arrived anywhere near an era of spirituality, enlightenment, wisdom, harmony and truth?

Sceptics do not think so.
Even cartoonists are learning that their work can invite arrest, prosecution and death threats.

A few of them, no doubt, lack sensibility and wisdom. Instead of appealing to the very human sense of humour, their cartoons invite violent protests and provoke murderous instincts.

Such, for instance, was the case of Lars Vilks, the Swedish artist who offended Muslims across the globe with his perceived insult in 2007. The following year, Amsterdam police arrested Gregorius Nekschot on allegations that his work discriminated against Muslims.

In another incident, 20-year-old Bangladeshi cartoonist Ariful Rahman broke his country's law when he stirred up religious sentiments with his play of words for a caricature published in the newspaper Aalpin.

The case of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar, however, is somewhat different. He has joined the ranks of persecuted cartoonists—not for his insensitivity to the feelings of fellow human beings, but for his tendency to reveal what the authorities believe ought to be kept hidden.

To paraphrase a Russian proverb, politics is a rotten egg; if broken, it stinks.

Zunar has been trying to crack the Malaysian egg for some time now, releasing smells that the authorities cannot tolerate.

Everything looks like a nail

To the corrupt and corruptible, the truth is so precious that it must be hidden at all costs, usually with a pack of lies and half-truths.

“To the man who has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail,” said American psychologist Abraham Maslow. As a depiction of the psychology of Malaysia’s political leadership, this is not far off the mark. Critics, it seems, should be hammered into compliance or obedience like a nail, and this can be done through repressive laws.

According to Aristotle, the mark of an educated mind is that it is able to entertain a thought—or criticism—without accepting it.

Can an individual, through written or spoken criticism, really cause nationwide rioting or trigger a violent revolution? Does a drop of water constitute an ocean? Remember that riots are usually caused by groups orchestrated by politicians and wars are conducted by military commanders, not by any one individual citizen.

The real problem with our leadership is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubts and fears. They make grave political mistakes as a result.

As George Bernard Shaw once quipped, “Political necessities sometimes turn out to be political mistakes.” That applies to all the draconian laws in the country; they are political mistakes perpetuating an out-of-date political culture.

Our political culture would make Aristotle shake his head in despair. Our so-called leaders are apparently incapable of accepting criticism and deem it fit to punish the critics. Perhaps they should heed John F Kennedy’s famous remark: “When peaceful revolution becomes impossible, violent revolution becomes inevitable.”

Silencing criticism and prohibiting press freedom under bad laws is a form of tyranny. “There is no crueller tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice,” according to Charles de Montesquieu.

How many more Zunars are out there who will speak, write or draw to show what they think is true and right?

Since 2005, the Malaysian government has intimidated numerous critics, notably Nathaniel Tan, Syed Azidi Syed Aziz alias Kickdefella and Raja Petra Kamaruddin. It has not spared even radio deejays and talk-show personalities. And there is now a high profile committee to monitor some 503 websites and train cyber troopers and computer forensics experts to rein in critics and dissenters.

Let us have freedom

The paranoia of seemingly educated leaders and their unwillingness to give free rein to their sense of humour speak much of the prevailing crisis of representation in Malaysia.

Czech freedom fighter Vaclav Havel, in a famous essay published in 1979, aptly titled “The Power of the Powerless,” wrote that those who live under oppression and do nothing to oppose it are living a lie, the lie that their life is normal.

According to him, if people were to choose to tell the truth, to begin to act on this truth, and to resist the lies of the state, they would open up an “explosive” and “incalculable” power in society.

The Age of Aquarius is about freedom, especially of the human spirit. If power is about what politicians can control, then freedom is about what the people can unleash.

When Abraham Lincoln finally freed his nation from slavery, he wrote: “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

Neither should we forget that there is one law for all humanity and against man’s cruelty. That is the Creator’s law, the law of Truth, Humanity, Logic, Justice, Compassion and Wisdom.

The greatness of a nation is measured not by its material wealth or military strength, but by the positive values it cherishes.

Politicians have no greater duty than to nurture those universal values. To carry out that duty effectively, they must realise that they, like everyone else, are not perfect.

Stanley Koh is a political observer who use to head the MCA's research unit.

Civil activists, NGOs stand behind Zunar

Cops search Malaysiakini, leave empty-handed

Arrested cartoonist Zunar to sue police

Zunar’s arrest no laughing matter

Charter 2000-Aliran condemns the unfair and unwarranted detention of cartoonist Zunar by the Malaysian government last night as it violates the basic principle of freedom of expression in a democracy.

The police have also seized seized 66 copies of Zunar’s latest book, ‘Cartoon-O-Phobia’ – a worrying testimony of the state of freedom of expression in the country. But until now, the authorities don’t even seem to be sure whether his “offence” falls under the Sedition Act or the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Known for his wit and grit and critical observations of Malaysia’s political scene through his hilarious sketches, Zunar has always shown his determination in calling a spade a spade. He has effectively exposed abuse and corruption in a simplistic manner, which a thousand words would find difficult to achieve. He should not be penalised for doing a great service to the nation even if his views came into conflict with those of the powers-that-be.

If expressing views that are critical of the government and its policies are deemed to be an offence, then this unfortunately may be construed as a warning to not only other cartoonists but also critical political commentators, analysts and oppositionists.

Given the severe political constraints that exist in our society, we commend Zunar for his courage in soldiering on. His arrest and harassment will not deter him from his mission to expose the dirt in our political system.

Amidst this darkness, there are rays of light. We would like to congratulate the new president of the National Union of Journalists of Malaysia, journalist Mohamed Ha’ta Wahari, for being bold and brave in championing the freedom of the press in the face of criticism and political pressure from within and outside Utusan Malaysia, where he works. It is commendable that Mohamed Ha’ta has strived to be fair and independent by being equally critical of both BN and Pakatan Rakyat politicians particularly over issues relating to press freedom and freedom of information.

If a free and responsible press is the cornerstone of a democracy, then the political and legal constraints that have been placed against journalists and cartoonists, among others, must be removed to promote democracy, the free flow of information and honest journalism. In the case of Malaysia, the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act must be repealed.

We urge the government to release Zunar immediately and unconditionally and to show maturity and tolerance when poring over critical cartoons such as Zunar’s. A sense of humour might help to lighten up the nation!
Dr Mustafa K Anuar and Anil Netto
Coordinators
Charter 2000-Aliran

Cartoonist Zunar Arrested, New Book Seized

Tracking Zunar

Cartoonist Zunar arrested, new book seized

Cartoon-o-phobia launch a hit despite author's arrest

(Malaysiakini) Just hours earlier the police arrested political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque and seized over 60 copies of his latest work, Cartoon-o-phobia.

But despite setbacks, the launch of satirical publication proceeded as scheduled last night at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) under close observation of the police.

About 10 policemen were deployed outside the hall and they had placed police cones barricading the main entrance to leading to the parking lot.

It was however an unusual book launch owing to the absence of the celebrated comics and the presence of its artist Zulkiflee, better known as Zunar.

Zunar was arrested and brought to the Sepang district police headquarters late evening yesterday after his office, Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, was raided by police officers.

Undaunted by the police's show of force, Zunar's launch was greeted with enthusiasm and encouragement for the cartoonist to continue his witty jibes at the Malaysian political scene.

In fact delivering his message last night through his wife Fazlina Rosley (left), Zunar swore that the clampdown on his work will not hinder his efforts to expose corruption and abuse or power.

“This move has reasserted the title of the book - that the government fears cartoons.

“They can imprison me but they can't imprison my mind.”

Zunar conveyed to the 150 people present that he is prepared to “change from the comic strip to the prison strip”.

Fazlina, on behalf of her husband, thanked all those present.

“He said that he didn't intend to talk about politics, but (alas this is) the fate of the cartoons which has now proven to be feared by the government,” said Fazlina, whose brave front and wit was greeted with continuous applause.

Zunar's way of showing 'middle-finger'

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan, who kicked off the event, noted that Zunar should be "admired for his tenacity".

"For that he is being punished. This is his fourth book to be banned, and this comes months after the other books were banned," said Gan.

"This is Zunar's way of showing the middle finger," he added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He went on to laud the cartoonist, comparing his gritty and gutsy work to the celebrated political cartoonist Mohammad Nor Khalid, more commonly known as Lat, praising him for taking on high-profile leaders "without a safety net below".

Going down memory lane, Gan described the complexity of summarising an event into one picture by displaying a comic sketched by Zunar six years ago, when Malaysiakini's office was first raided and their computers were confiscated.

"As a journalist I know how it is to try to compress a thousand words to 500 words, and Zunar is able to do it all in one comic," he said.

"I felt a lot of forboding (in the run up to the launch), and when Zunar called to say that there was a raid on his office and the books were being confiscated, I was not surprised," said Gan.

Three of Zunar's previous books - 1 Funny Malaysia, Perak Darul Kartun and Isu Dalam Kartun - were banned by the Home Ministry for going against the provisions of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).

Ousted Perak menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, who was also captured and illustrated in Perak Darul Kartun, similarly hailed the political awareness brought by Zunar's works.

"These cartoons transcend the racial and religious boundaries and unite all of us here on a common platform," said Mohd Nizar.

'Cartoon-o-phobia' should be in Wikipedia

He also criticised the moves against Zunar as something that would have occurred "30 or 40 years" ago when books were banned and there were no other ways to express dissent.

"In this era everything can be easily accessed and downloaded from the Internet, but we are still banning books," he mocked.

He even suggested that the term 'cartoon-o-phobia' be included in Wikipedia as "there is now a concrete definition" to the term.

Mohd Nizar described the seizure of the books and Zunar's arrest as a "desperate" move by a "sinking government" that is "hanging on to its last thread of hope".

"BN is at the end of its lifespan, and at its end people say we tend to behave funny and weird."

He expressed hope to see more of Zunar's works that he said would catalyse the opposition's chances of taking over the government.

'Authorities paranoid'

Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan (right), who attended the event, described the move against Zunar as "nonsensical".

"The authorities seem to have taken leave of their senses. It reflects and shows poorly on the authorities that they are absolutely paranoid," she said.

She stressed that media and creative freedom should be embraced and not prohibited.

Zunar just before his arrest related that his latest book has more bite as compared to his previous ones.

"The issues covered are the murder of Altantuya, the conspiracy against Anwar (Ibrahim), the PM's wife, the loss of jet engines, the Scorpene that cannot dive, Sarawak, racism, corruption and the waste of public funds, among others," he said.

Cartoon-o-phobia is a collection of cartoons published from November 2009 to September 2010 on Malaysiakini and published by Kinibooks.

Cartoon-o-phobia has 80 full-colour pages and is being sold at RM25. It can be purchased online via Gerakbudaya and Cartoon Kafe.

Zunar arrested under sedition, new book seized

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have raided the Cartoon Kafe, owned by prominent opposition political cartoonist Zunar, and seized more than 60 of his upcoming "Cartoon-O-Phobia" book scheduled to be launched tonight.

"I can't talk right now. They are about to arrest me," he told FMT before abruptly putting down the phone.
His lawyers later confirmed that he has been arrested under Sedition Act.

It is learnt that the premises was raided by 10 police officers led by ASP Ari Krishna from the Brickfields police station and Zunar was taken to the Puchong police district headquarters.
His office insisted that his new publication will be released tonight as planned.
A sharper offering
Talking to FMT earlier this week, Zunar, whose full name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaq, said his latest offering would be "sharper" than his previous works.

It will cover issues such as the Altantuya murder, conspiracy against Anwar, the prime minister's wife, the loss of jet engines, the Scorpene submarine that cannot dive, Sarawak, racism, corruption, waste of public funds and others, he had added.

“Will my latest book get banned by the government as well? This has never crossed my mind when I was working on it and I strongly believe Cartoon-O-Phobia has its own strength and will meet the readers' needs," he said in that interview.

Cartoon-O-Phobia features a collection of his cartoons, which appeared in the Malaysiakini news portal from December 2009 to September 2010.

Previously the Home Ministry has banned his other books -- “1 Funny Malaysia", "Perak Darul Kartun" and "Isu Dalam Kartun" -- because “the contents were detrimental to public order and could influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government”.
Meanwhile, Cartoon-O-Phobia was  launched by former Perak menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin at the Chinese Assembly Hall this evening.

About 100 people attended the function.There were a few policemen keeping watch but they did not interfere.
'Can't jail my mind'
Likening Zunar's arrest as cartoonish, Nizar said it was unbecoming of the government to take action against the cartoonist over his creative work.

"I have never heard of cartoonists (being arrested) in Western countries or their books being banned," he said.

"How can we live like this? Are we living in an era where we are seeing the prohibition of books?" he asked.

Zunar's wife Fazlina Rosley also read an SMS sent by Zunar, in which he said: “The government is afraid of my book. They can jail me, but they cannot jail my mind”.

Malaysiakini's editor-in-chief Steven Gan also spoke at the book launch. Zunar is a Malaysiakini cartoon contributor and the news portal is also the publisher of Zunar's books.

"The release of his book coming months after his last book was banned is Zunar's way of showing the authorities the middle finger," said Gan.

"You can put Mahathir and Najib's photo on the front cover, but when you use Rosmah's picture, you're in trouble," he said to a laughing audience.