SHAH ALAM, 14 Nov: Over 50 percent of cartoons by cartoonist Zunar since 2009 had profound effect on the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to a point that all his work has been withdrawn and banned.
Despite this, he said that the authorities are unable to prevent him from continuing to criticise the government through the medium of cartoons.
“I only draw what is done by government leaders. They create corruption, I just put them in cartoons, and I am not the source of corruption.
“It is my right and the law cannot forbid my thoughts to produce my work in ‘cartoonising’ the government,” he said, quoted from Keadilan Daily.
Zunar said that he will continue to work and all obstacles will not affect the results of his work.
In fact, he said that he was happy when the people appreciated the cartoons produced and understood the message it meant to convey.
In the meantime, Zunar also reminded the government that political cartoonists have a role in a democratic country, including in the United States.
“I was called to a cartoonist forum overseas. There are cartoonist there criticising (Barrack) Obama. In fact, the President awarded them on the criticism, instead of taking legal action like what the Malaysian government did,” he said.
On November 6, three of Zunar’s assistants were arrested and taken to the Putrajaya Police Station for selling two cartoon books entitled ‘Conspiracy in Jailing Anwar’ and ‘Pirate of the Carry-BN’.
The operator of his website, www.Zunar.my, was also called by the police for a statement at the Dang Wangi Police Headquarters.
Zunar, or real name Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, was previously interviewed at a forum in San Francisco, the United States, for the work he produced.
He is also a Malaysian cartoonist who received the Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award 2011 by the Cartoonists Rights Network International.
NS
