After veiled threat, Zunar calls off cartoon exhibition in Penang

A poster apparently from Umno Youth urging their supporters to turn up at Zunar’s exhibition has prompted the cartoonist the call off the event. Zunar reports..

With a heavy heart, I hereby announce the cancellation of my cartoon exhibition in Penang tommorow (30 July 2017) because of threat from a group of troublemakers.

The exhibition entitled “Ketawa Pink Pink” was scheduled to take place at an open space at Beach Street in George Town from 8am to noon.

Penang Umno Youth has has distributed a poster (see above) urging their members to come and “visit” my exhibition. Based on last year’s experience, this is not a normal visit, but more of an act of physical intimidation.

Umno Youth under Khairy Jamaluddin has on many occasions become very rowdy and aggressive, as seen at my exhibition venue in Komtar last November.

Also, as witnessed last year, there is no guarantee that the police would take any action to stop them.

So, I have no choice but to call off the exhibition due to security reasons.

Nevertheless, this will not stop me from disseminating messages of anti-corruption through my cartoons. Ketawa Pink Pink will be turned into another cartoon book very soon. It covers topics such as the 1MDB scandal, US Department of Justice exposures and the purchase of the Pink Diamond costing millions of dollars.

I am also mooting an idea to make it ‘digital open source’ – this means that the book will be made free for the people to download and distribute – provided I get a sponsor for the initial print.

Zunar is an internationally renowned award-winning political cartoonist.

Catch Zunar speaking at the Aliran forum: Defend Freedom of Expression on Sunday night, 30 July 2017. Register here.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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