KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — The arrest of cartoonist Zunar last night over a tweeted comment on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction by the Federal Court is a further sign that authorities are seeking to cow Malaysians into silence, the Human Rights Watch said today.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday directed the Police Cyber Investigation Response Centre (PCIRC) to track down and arrest Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, over an online comment that mentioned the judiciary and a “political master”.
“The arrest of cartoonist Zunar on sedition charges would be laughable except the police inspector-general and the Malaysian ‘Twitter police’ apparently don’t have a sense of humour.
“They seem to be turning peaceful criticism into a criminal act that threatens the state,” Robertson said in a statement today.
Zunar was reportedly detained at his home last night and said that he was informed that he will be remanded today.
Other than the cartoonist, Khalid also ordered police to investigate DAP MP Nga Kor Ming and PKR MP Rafizi Ramli for sedition, both for tweets on Anwar’s conviction.
Putrajaya had previously pledged to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 that critics say is used to stifle political opposition and dissent, but later announced that it will be retained and expanded instead.
The Federal Court yesterday upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that had reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, also sentencing him to five years’ jail.
