COURT UPDATE: Zunar files challenge over ‘Sapuman’ ban

Zunar filed a judicial review challenge at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today (2nd Jan 2018) to set aside the ban on his book “Sapuman: Man of Steal.” Home minister and the government of Malaysia are name as respondents in the judicial review application.’The ban was announce in October last year by the Malaysian government because “the book was a threat to public order.”

Beside challenging the ban, Zunar is also seeking a declaration that the ban order is declared void and illegal, on the grounds that it is ultra vires of Section 7 of the Publication and Printing Presses Act 1984 (PPPA), violates Articles 5 (personal liberty), 8 (equality) and 10 (1)(a) (freedom of expression) of the Federal Constitution.

He is also seeking general and special damages.

“Sapuman: Man of Steal” – a collection of Zunar’s political cartoons, was published in 2015.