PENANG, MALAYSIA — A Malaysian political cartoonist known for poking fun at the country’s scandal-hit prime minister has once again been arrested for sedition.
Artist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, 54, goes by the pen name Zunar. His work frequently mocks Prime Minister Najib Razak.
U.S. officials allege that an unnamed “Malaysian Official 1,” widely believed to be Najib, stole millions of dollars from the country’s 1MDB development fund.
An angry mob of Najib supporters attacked an exhibition of Zunar’s cartoons in Penang last week, the New Straits Times reported.
The mob damaged Zunar’s art and forced the exhibition to shut down. So it seems like Zunar’s cartoons have really hit a nerve with someone.
Zunar was arrested for sedition. He already has nine similar charges that are yet to go to trial, all related to his drawings.
Amnesty International said the arrest of Zunar was “an outrage.” The human rights non-profit said Malaysia was using repressive laws “to silence and punish peaceful voices under the guise of national security.”
Malaysia has arrested scores of government critics in recent years as Najib desperately holds onto power at the expense of free speech.
