[uniopaypamp]

Jun 25, 2010
M'sia bans political cartoons

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA banned three works of political cartoons that criticise the government, but one of the artists said on Friday he was obligated to highlight issues other cartoonists would not. The government said the cartoons in two books and a magazine posed a security threat. Malaysia has banned dozens of publications in recent years, but usually because of sexual content or alleged misrepresentation of Islam, its official religion. But the latest ban is certain to spark complaints that the government is disallowing critical views.

'All three publications have been banned for their contents that can influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government policies,' said a statement by Home Ministry Secretary General Mahmood Adam on the official news agency Bernama. 'The contents are not suitable and detrimental to public order,' he said without elaborating. Printing, distributing or possessing prohibited material is punishable by up to three years in jail.

The works are mainly collections of comics by Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, and other local cartoonists, questioning current events, such as police shootings and the sodomy trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The books, entitled Perak, Land Of Cartoons in Malay and 1 Funny Malaysia, were published late last year. The magazine, Issues In Cartoons in Malay, with a circulation of 15,000 copies, was launched in February with three volumes coming out since then, Mr Zunar said. -- AP