KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Human Rights Watch (HRW) questioned today police raid on the office of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar, a former recipient of its Hellman Hammet award for free speech in 2011.
Calling it “unjustified”, the international human rights watchdog linked the raid and seizure of the artist known for his political satirical works to the sedition crackdown that began last year.
“Malaysia’s sedition act inspired onslaught raises fundamental questions about whether the government is seeking to cement its power through police action to silence those who voice disagreements with the powers that be,” the deputy director of HRW’s Asia division, Phil Robertson, said in a statement.
He censured the government for resorting to “wrecking ball tactics” on activists and members of the political opposition and demanded Putrajaya withdraw from prosecuting the cartoonist, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque.
Robertson also urged those against the suppression of human rights and democracy in the country to speak up as well.
The cartoonist’s office was raided earlier today under Printing Press and Publications Act, Sedition Act and Penal Code.
Police confiscated his two books, English and Malay versions of “Conspiracy to jail Anwar” and “Pirate of The Carry BN”, as he was at London for a talk.
