KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The prosecution today withdrew charges in Kuala Lumpur against graphic artist Fahmi Reza, who was charged under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 over a clown caricature of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Fahmi — who was charged in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with creating false content on Instagram with the intention of annoying another person's feelings — said the prosecution did not want to continue the case.
“After more than two years of fighting this baseless prosecution and trial, finally I have been freed from charges under #AktaSakitHati in relation to the Najib clown face picture. The KL #clowntrial is finally over!” Fahmi posted on Facebook.
“This is a victory for freedom of expression and freedom of the people to criticise the powers-that-be through the weapons of art and satire.”
Besides the Kuala Lumpur case, Fahmi was convicted last February by the Sessions Court in Ipoh of a similar offence and sentenced to one month's imprisonment and a RM30,000 fine. The court granted him a stay pending an appeal to the High Court in Ipoh, whose verdict is expected at the end of the month.
Last February, Fahmi raised the RM30,000 for his fine through crowdfunding.
Fahmi’s clown caricature of Najib was one of the main symbols of dissent against Barisan Nasional that later lost the 2018 election to Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The new PH government recently said it would amend Section 233 of the CMA — the provision that had been used against Fahmi and other government critics — even though PH’s election manifesto had promised to repeal such repressive laws.
*Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article contained an error which has since been corrected.
