KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 ― The High Court here awarded Zunar RM18,000 in compensation today after the political cartoonist sued the government for destroying a drawing and confiscating his books in 2010.

Zunar, whose full name is Zulkiflee Anuar Ul Haque, said the drawing was badly damaged when he got it back from the police, following the Court of Appeal 2014 judgment that maintained the 2012 High Court ruling instructing the authorities to return the drawing and books.

“Today's decision is not about the quantum, but as a lesson to the police and the Malaysian government that using criminal law arbitrarily to confiscate and destroy cartoon works is unacceptable, and was done in bad faith.

“It is also a clear proof that my book's title, Cartoon-O-Phobia is a right word to describe the character of the Malaysian government,” Zunar said in a statement.

Zunar also condemned the confiscation of cartoons under the Sedition Act as a “gross violation” of freedom of expression.

He added that more than 40 of his cartoon works have remained under police custody in Penang since last November in a sedition investigation.

“I will take legal action for the police to return them as they are. They have to be responsible for damages, if any,” said Zunar, adding that the same went for 1,300 books confiscated by the police in Kuala Lumpur that same month.