(Eng & BM) Zunar: Court on Book Banning: Message to Malaysian Government: Stop Cartoon-O-Phobia policy, challenge me “cartoon by cartoon” instead
Even though we know that Malaysian judiciary system is not independent, I am relieved to see few good judges still exist.
I welcome the Federal Court judgement on 11 Nov2015 to uphold the decision by the Appellate Court to overturn the banning of my books, ‘1Funny Malaysia’ and ‘Perak Darul Kartun’.
The verdict was made by a five-member panel led by Justice Md Raus Sharif. The books were banned by Home Ministry in May 2010 on the grounds that the contents are detrimental to public order and can influence the public to revolt against the government.
In November 2014, upon delivering the judgement, the three-panel Appellate Court Judges led by Justice Muhammad Ariff Yusof had ruled that the Home Ministry’s contention that my cartoons disturbed public order was not a supportable conclusion by any reasonable criteria. The government also failed to provide evidence to support any allegations of sedition, or acts having a seditious tendency. They added that in this case, the law of sedition is being used to control freedom of expression instead.
The court’s decision proves the Cartoon-O-Phobia policy that criminalizing cartoonists by the Malaysian government is undemocratic and against the Federal Constitution in terms of freedom of expression. Besides detaining me, banning my books and raiding my office, the government also harasses and threatens my printers to revoke their licenses apart from intimidating book stores, my web master and my assistants. So far three laws have been used against me – the Printing Presses & Publications Act, the Sedition Act and The Penal Code.
I urge the government to stop this arrogance and abuse of power. I urge the government to challenge me “cartoon by cartoon” rather than a blanket ban. In other words, I would like to ask PM Najib and his cabinet to read my cartoons and prove that the issues like “Murder of Altantuya”, “2.6B Corruption” and “Conspiracy Against Anwar Ibrahim” are slanderous. Debate with me or take necessary action on specific cartoons instead.
I also urge the government to respect the court’s decision in principle: not only to unban ‘1 Funny Malaysia’ and ‘Perak Darul Kartun’, but also to free my other books. Most of my 18 cartoon books are investigated under The Sedition Act, which is worse than banning because it carries jail implication for those who print, distribute, sell, buy and own.
I also want the government to stop the harassment on printers that print my books. Printing factories have been raided by the government and they are threatened for their license to be revoked should they get caught printing my books in the future.
I also want the government to stop the intimidation and pressure on the retailers who sell my books. In raids by the police and the ministry, booksellers were threatened to be charged under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses & Publications Act.
I also demand the government to stop harassing my web master who manages my on-line book sales. I also demand the government to drop all the Sedition charges against me.
Zunar
Political Cartoonist
12 Nov 2015
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Walau pun sistem kehakiman kita tidak independen, saya lega mendapati beberapa hakim yang bagus masih ujud.
Saya menyambut baik keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan pada 11 Nov 2015 yang mengesahkan keputusan yang dibuat oleh Mahkamah Rayuan sebelum ini yang membatalkan pengharaman terhadap dua buku saya, ‘1Funny Malaysia’ dan ‘Perak Darul Kartun.’ Keputusan tersebut dibuat oleh penal lima hakim diketuai oleh Md Raus Sharif. Kedua-dua buku tersebut diharamkan oleh Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) pada Mei 2010 atas alasan kandungannya mengancam ketenteraman awam dan boleh mempengaruhi orang ramai supaya merusuh.
Pada November tahun lepas, ketika membuat keputusan, penal tiga hakim Mahkamah Rayuan diketuai Muhammad Ariff Yusof berkata niat KDN yang ingin membuktikan bahawa kartun saya mengancam ketenteraman awam tidak disokong dengan kreteria yang munasabah. Kerajaan juga gagal memberi bukti bahawa (kartun saya) bersifat hasutan, sebaliknya dalam kes ini, hasutan digunakan untuk menyekat kebebasan bersuara.
Keputusan mahkamah membuktikan bahawa polisi Cartoon O Phobia serta menjenayahkan kartunis yang diamal kerajaan adalah tidak demokratik dan bertentangan dengan Perlembagaan yang menjamin kebebasan bersuara. Disamping mengharamkan buku dan menyerbu pejabat saya, kerajaan juga menekan dan mengugut kilang percetakan dengan penggantungan lesen, mengancam kedai-kedai buku, menggangu dan menangkap pengendali laman web dan pembantu jualan saya. Untuk itu, tiga undang-undang digunakan: Akta Hasutan, Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan serta Kanun Keseksaan.
Saya menggesa kerajaan supaya menghentikan semua sikap jahil dan penyalahgunaan kuasa ini. Sebaliknya saya menyeru kerajaan supaya menghadapi saya “Kartun demi Kartun” berbanding pengharaman keseluruhan. Dalam perkataan lain, PM Najib dan ahli-ahli Kabinet, silakan membaca kartun saya dan buktikan bahawa isu seperti “Pembunuhan Altantuya”,”Korupsi 2.6 B” dan “Konspirasi terhadap Anwar Ibrahim” adalah fitnah. Jika ia, silakan berdebat atau mengambil tindakan terhadap saya.
Saya juga mendesak kerajaan supaya menghormati keputusan mahkamah dari sudut prinsip; tidak hanya mencabut pengharaman ‘1 Funny Malaysia’ dan ‘Perak Darul Kartun’ sahaja, sebaliknya terhadap buku-buku saya yang lain juga. Kebanyakan dari 18 judul buku-buku saya disiasat di bawah Akta Hasutan, yang bererti lebih teruk dari pengharaman kerana ia membawa implikasi penjara kepada sesiapa yang mencetak, mengedar, menjual, membeli dan memiliki.
Saya juga mahu kerajaan menghentikan tekanan yang dilakukan terhadap kilang-kilang pencetak yang mencetak buku-buku saya. Setakat ini sudah tiga kilang cetak diserbu dan mereka diugut agar tidak lagi mencetak buku-buku saya atau lesen mereka akan ditarik balik.
Saya juga mendesak kerajaan menghentikan ugutan dan tekanan terhadap pekedai yang menjual buku-buku saya. Dalam serbuan, pekedai-pekedai diugut akan dihadapkan ke mahkamah di bawah Akta Hasutan dan Akta Mesin Cetak jika menjual buku-buku saya..
Saya juga mendesak kerajaan mengehentikan tekanan keatas pengendali laman web dan pembantu jualan saya. Saya juga mendesak kerajaan menarik balik semua tuduhan mahkamah Akta Hasutan terhadap saya.
Zunar
Kartunis Politik
12 Nov 2015
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