Kedah PAS Youth chief Nurul Amin Hamid has lodged a police report against Zunar after the local cartoonist posted a caricature drawing of Kedah Menteri Besar, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Nurul Amin claims that the drawing gave a bad image to Muhammad Sanusi and that it was seen as “slanderous”, reported Sinar Harian.
Zunar’s caricature drawing depicts Muhammad Sanusi holding a butcher’s knife chopping a round table that was surrounded by people of various races. The side of the knife shows the words, “Tiada cuti Thaipusam (No Thaipusam holiday)” accompanied by the words “Kedahans lived peacefully before he (Sanusi) came”.
Zunar’s caricature
This comes after Muhammad Sanusi announced that there will be no public holiday for Thaipusam in Kedah this year after all festival activities were cancelled due to the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“There is no cuti peristiwa. Since there is no celebration this year, there will be no public holiday,” he said.
Zunar
Meanwhile, Nurul Amin said in a Facebook post addressed to Zunar that he should have come forward to demand an explanation and not use his talent to spread the wrong message.
“Dear Cartoonist Zunar, Allah gave you the talent of drawing that is very effective to give a message to the people, but that talent should not be used to slander,” Nurul Amin wrote.
“If you need an explanation, Kedah opens the door anytime to discuss. There is no criminalisation of religion and race in Kedah.”
“Since you have uploaded a caricature of slander against the YAB Menteri Besar Kedah, then a police report has been made so that action is taken accordingly.”
He added that the report was made on Monday (25 January) to be a lesson to all parties that not everything can be politicized arbitrarily at will.
Nurul Amin also posted a photo with Padang Terap Deputy Youth Chief, Habibullah Salleh at the Padang Terap District Police Headquarters where he lodged the police report against Zunar.
This is not the first time Zunar has been called out for his caricature drawings that often coincide with political events that take place in the country. Zunar was freed from sedition charges two years ago while his books, that were previously banned, were released in major bookstores.
Also read: Cartoonist Zunar Misses Drawing Rosmah as She’s More Dominant & Interesting Than Najib
