BM and BI: Kenytaan oleh Suaram DEPLORABLE HARASSMENT AGAINST ZUNAR AND HIS TEAM Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) decries the unrelenting harassment and persecution by government against political cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, or better known by his pen name Zunar. We demand the police and Home Minister to uphold Zunars constitutional right to express his ideas and cease all harassment against Zunar, three of his assistants, webmaster, printers and bookstore vendors. For the longest time, Zunar has been attacked by the police and the Home Ministry for producing cartoons that were purported to be detrimental to public order. More than 400 copies of his books were confiscated and five of his books titled Perak Darul Kartun, 1 Funny Malaysia, Isu Dalam Kartun Vol. 1, 2 and 3 were banned by the Home Minister from 2009 to 2010. Governments determination to persecute Zunar was extended to printers, vendors and bookstores around the country - their places were raided and they were warned to not print and carry any of Zunars book in future. And of late, on 6 November 2014, Zunars assistants - Rizaldy Rafie, Raja Norita and Norliza Kassim were arrested and taken to Putrajaya police station for selling two purported controversial cartoon books by Zunar titled Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar and Pirate of the Carry-BN. 44 copies of Zunars cartoons book were again confiscated by the police and Zunars assistant were all probed under Section 8(2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, and Section 500 of the Penal Code. Soon after that, on 12 November 2014, Zunar was informed by the police to come forward for an investigation at Dang Wangi police station, under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act for allegedly publishing seditious content in his cartoon books. This is the second sedition investigation against Zunar. His webmaster, who has been managing his website and online bookstore, has been called by the police for investigation under the Sedition Act in the same day too. The polices action went against the recent stand took by Court of Appeals. A month earlier, the Court of Appeal took an unanimous stand and lifted a ban imposed by Home Minister on two of Zunars cartoon books Perak Darul Kartun and 1 Funny Malaysia on grounds that they were not a threat to national security or prejudicial to public order. In delivering his judgement, Justice Mohamad Ariff stated that the law should not be abused by executive and that public odium cannot be so conveniently equated with public order. Nevertheless, the Home Ministry, on a letter dated 10 November 2014, informed Zunar and his lawyer that they are appealing at Federal Court to have the Court of Appeals decision struck out, insisting that Zunars cartoon satire is prejudicial to public order. Under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, our forefather has provided that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and restriction is deemed necessary only if the act threatens the interest of national security, public order or morality that should be narrowly defined in line with international human rights law. For this, it goes against logic and common sense to hold that Zunars cartoons political satire can be purported as detrimental to public order, morality and certainly not national security. No one should be subjected to intimidation, criminalisation and imprisonment for producing satirist cartoons which is a legitimate expression of political opinions through the form of art. Any reasonable reader would be mature and open-minded enough to draw a line between facts and jokes. The government is projecting itself as a repressive, tyrannical and narrow-minded leader by putting forward these unrelenting attacks on Zunar and his teams. While the government refused to recognise and appreciate Zunars work, in 2011, Zunar was conferred Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award by the Cartoonist Rights Network International, a cartoonists rights NGO based in Washington, USA. And again in October 2014, one of Zunars book, Pirate of the Carry-BN has been accepted into the Library of Congress in Washington. Freedom of expression is a defining attribute of democratic states and political satire is a bellwether of the extend of openness of a country. As firm believer in rights to freedom of expression, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is hereby calling the government to: Cease all harassment and investigation on Zunar, three of his assistants for Zunars cartoons books and his webmaster. Stop intimidating printers, publishers, vendors and bookstore owners from partnering with Zunar. Lift ban on all Zunars cartoon book and to return all confiscated books. Respect freedom of expression and repeal the Sedition Act. Released by, Yap Swee Seng Executive Director For inquiry, please contact: Mr. Yap Swee Seng, executive director at +60 12 2015272 or [email protected] ************************************************************************************************************* Untuk Siaran Segera 13 November 2014 GANGGUAN TERHADAP ZUNAR DAN TEAMNYA Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya gangguan dan tekanan oleh kerajaan terhadap kartunis politik Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, atau lebih dikenali dengan penanya, Zunar. Kami menuntut pihak polis dan Menteri Dalam Negeri untuk menegakkan hak Zunar seperti yang dijamin dalam Perlembagaan dengan menghentikan semua gangguan terhadap Zunar, pembantu-pembantunya, para pencetak dan pemiik-pemilik kedai buku. Sebelum ini, Zunar telah ditekan oleh polis dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri kerana menghasilkan karya kartun yang dituduh memudaratkan ketenteraman awam. Lebih daripada 400 salinan buku beliau telah dirampas dan lima judul buku beliau bertajuk Perak Darul Kartun, 1 Funny Malaysia,Isu Dalam Kartun Vol. 1, 2 dan 3 telah diharamkan oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri dari 2009 hingga 2010. Tekanan terhadap Zunar telah diperluaskan kepada pencetak, vendor dan pemilik kedai-kedai buku di seluruh negara dimana permis mereka telah diserbu oleh pihak berkuasa dan mereka diberi amaran untuk tidak mencetak dan menjual buku Zunar pada masa akan datang. Terbaru, pada 6 November 2014, pembantu Zunar - Rizaldy Rafie, Raja Norita dan Norliza Kassim telah ditangkap dan dibawa ke Balai Polis Putrajaya kerana menjual buku kartun kontroversi oleh Zunar bertajuk Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar dan Pirate of the Carry-BN . Dalam tangkapan itu, sebanyak 44 buah buku kartun Zunar telah dirampas oleh polis dan pembantu Zunar telah disiasat di bawah Seksyen 8 (2) Mesin Cetak, Akta Penerbitan 1984, dan Akta Hasutan 1948 dan Kanun Keseksaan. Semalam, pada 12 November 2014, pengendali laman web telah dipanggil polis ke balai Dang Wangi untuk disoal siasat. Selain itu, semalam, pada 12 November 2014 juga Zunar telah dimaklumkan oleh polis untuk melapor diri di balai polis Dang Wangi untuk siasatan di bawah Seksyen 4 (1)(c) Akta Hasutan. Tindakan polis ini bertentangan dengan pendirian yang baru-baru ini diambil oleh Mahkamah Rayuan. Bulan lepas, Mahkamah Rayuan telah menolak pengharaman oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri terhadap dua buku kartun Zunar, Perak Darul Kartun dan 1 Funny Malaysia atas alasan ia menjadi ancaman kepada keselamatan negara atau ketenteraman awam. Hakim Mohamad Ariff menyatakan bahawa undang-undang itu tidak boleh disalahgunakan oleh eksekutif dan kebencian orang ramai tidak boleh begitu mudah disamakan dengan ketenteraman awam. Walau bagaimanapun, Kementerian Dalam Negeri, dalam surat bertarikh 10 November 2014 telah merayu di Mahkamah Persekutuan agar keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan itu dibatalkan. Di bawah Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah memperuntukkan bahawa setiap warganegara mempunyai hak untuk kebebasan bersuara dan sekatan hanya perlu sekiranya sesuatu itu mengancam keselamatan negara, ketenteraman awam atau prinsip moral. Untuk ini, ia bertentangan dengan logik dan akal untuk menyatakan bahawa kartun politik Zunar boleh dikatakan sebagai memudaratkan ketenteraman awam, moral dan keselamatan negara, sudah tentu tidak. Tiada sesiapa yang harus tertakluk kepada ugutan, dianggap penjenayah dan berhadapan pemenjaraan kerana menghasilkan kartun yang merupakan ekspresi yang sah, iaitu luahan pendapat politik melalui bentuk seni. Pembaca yang matang akan berfikiran terbuka untuk menerima lakaran yang dibuat antara fakta dan jenaka. Kerajaan memberi gambaran bahawa mereka bersifat penindas, zalim dan pemimpin yang berfikiran sempit dengan meletakkan tekanan berat ini kepada Zunar dan pasukan beliau. Walaupun kerajaan enggan untuk mengiktiraf dan menghargai kerja Zunar, pada tahun 2011, Zunar telah diberi anugerah Keberanian dalam Melukis Kartun Editorial oleh Rangkaian Hak Asasi Kartunis Antarabangsa, sebuah NGO yang berpangkalan di Washington, Amerika Syarikat. Dan sekali lagi pada bulan Oktober 2014, salah satu buku Zunar, Pirate of The Carry-BN telah diterima ke dalam Library of Congress di Washington. Kebebasan bersuara adalah lambang keterbukaan berekspresi bagi sesebuah negara demokratik. Sebagai satu badan yang percaya kepada hak kebebasan bersuara, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) dengan ini menyeru kerajaan untuk: Hentikan semua siasatan terhadap Zunar, tiga daripada pembantunya, serta tekanan terhadap pengendali laman web beliau. Berhenti menakutkan pencetak, penerbit, penjual dan pemilik kedai buku yang bekerjasama dengan Zunar. Hentikan pengharaman buku kartun Zunar dan memulangkan semua buku yang dirampas. Menghormati kebebasan bersuara dan memansuhkan Akta Hasutan. Dikeluarkan oleh, Yap Swee Seng Pengarah Eksekutif Untuk pertanyaan, sila hubungi: Encik Yap Swee Seng, pengarah eksekutif di +60 12 2015272 atau [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 10:05:56 +0000
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