Malaysian cartoonist arrested for sedition over Anwar tweets
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 11 February, 2015, 10:41pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 11 February, 2015, 10:41pm
Associated Press in Kuala Lumpur
Cartoonist Zunar has been detained over tweets. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Malaysian police have detained a cartoonist and are investigating two lawmakers for sedition over tweets and a cartoon condemning the judiciary for dismissing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's final appeal against a sodomy conviction.
Police detained cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Alhaque, better known as Zunar, at his home over a series of tweets on Anwar's case. A cartoon he posted on Twitter showed Prime Minister Najib Razak as the case's judge.
National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar also directed his men to probe opposition lawmakers Nga Kor Ming and Rafizi Ramli for sedition. Nga tweeted it was time for the people to oppose a cruel regime, while Rafizi tweeted a cartoon of a judge wearing a wig with the dollar sign on it.
The police moves were criticised by rights groups, with New York-based Human Rights Watch saying it was shameful that Malaysia had turned peaceful criticism into a criminal act.
"Clearly it is designed to intimidate and instil fear in people on social media to go silent on their views. It is a further erosion of freedom of expression in Malaysia," said the group's Asia deputy director Phil Robertson.
