JournalismPakistan.com | Published May 18, 2021
Join our WhatsApp channel
BANGKOK–Malaysian authorities must cease their legal harassment of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, and drop any pending charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday.
On May 7, police in the northern state of Kedah summoned Zunar, who publishes his political cartoons on the Malaysiakini news website, and questioned him about a cartoon that lampooned Kedah Chief Minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, according to news reports and the cartoonist, who spoke with CPJ in a video interview. Authorities also confiscated his phone during the interrogation and did not return it, Zunar said.
Zunar told CPJ that police said he was being investigated under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act, a criminal provision that bars the improper use of network facilities, and Section 505 of the penal code, a law that broadly bans statements, rumors, or reports that could cause public mischief. Convictions under Section 233 allow for one-year prison sentences and fines, while violations of Section 505 carry possible two-year prison terms, according to those laws.
The investigation was initiated on complaints filed by Muhammed, one of the minister’s associates, and members of the public, Zunar said.
“Authorities should stop their legal harassment of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, return his phone immediately, and allow him to continue drawing his political cartoons without fear of reprisal,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “These bogus legal threats against journalists make a mockery of Malaysia’s democracy.”
In his January 24 cartoon, Zunar mocked Muhammad’s decision to cancel the state’s Thaipusam Hindu religious festival due to COVID-19. Muhammad, a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party, which rules Kedah and is part of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s ruling coalition, has been accused of marginalizing non-Malay and non-Islamic groups in Malaysia, according to news reports.
Zunar told CPJ that police interrogated him for several hours and asked about the cartoon’s political meaning; he added that he was not allowed to see the official police complaint sheet relating to his case.
CPJ emailed Muhammad’s office and the national attorney general’s office for comment but did not immediately receive any replies.
Zunar, a 2015 winner of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award, has previously faced harassment and legal threats over his work, as CPJ has documented.—A CPJ News Alert/Photo: AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.