Malaysian political
cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, or Zunar as he is popularly known, was
arrested on Saturday under the country's Sedition Act for cartoons that
allegedly insulted Prime Minister Najib Razak.
54-year-old Zunar
would be held for a day to facilitate investigations, state news agency Bernama
reported. Other than the Sedition Act, the cartoonist will also be probed under
penal code for humiliating a person with intention, Bernama reported.
The arrest comes a
day after some members of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
disrupted Zunar's exhibition at the George Town Literary Festival and asked for
the show to be canceled saying the cartoonist's materials were seditious. They
had also filed a police report.
"The Festival
condemns this act of repression which is contrary to the spirit of free speech
and expression, a central premise of the festival," said Bernice Chauly,
the literary festival's director.
Before Saturday's
arrest, Zunar was already facing nine sedition charges. He has also been banned
from leaving the country.
Prime Minister
Najib, caught in the middle of a corruption scandal, has in recent months been
using the colonial era Sedition Act and other draconian laws to arrest
government critics, jail opposition leaders and stifle free speech by
suspending media groups and blogs.
On Friday, an
appeals court ruled that a section of the Sedition Act, which removes the
requirement for the prosecution to prove the intention of a person charged with
sedition, as unconstitutional.
Najib has faced
criticism since the Wall Street Journal reported last year that around $700
million from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was diverted into
the personal bank account of the prime minister.
Lawsuits filed by
the U.S. Justice Department in July alleged that more than $3.5 billion was
stolen from 1MDB, which was founded by Najib, and that some of those funds
flowed into the accounts of "Malaysian Official 1", whom U.S. and
Malaysian officials have identified as Najib.
Najib has
consistently denied wrongdoing and has consolidated power by sacking critics
within his ruling party and cracking down on dissent.
Earlier this month,
the head of a pro-democracy group that organized a protest rally against the
prime minister was detained under a law meant to fight extremist threats,
prompting the U.S. to say it was troubled by the arrest.
Reuters
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