Why and who do you think instructed our police force?

Why and who do you think instructed our police force?

Cops put Zunar comic vendor in a fix

Richard Loo Wai Hoong
Aug 21, 10
5:37pm

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A book vendor, who was initially investigated under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), had discovered yesterday that she now faces a sedition charge instead.

Police officers paid Hawee Othman's bookshop a visit in May and informed her that they were there to inspect a publication that had no permit.

During the search they confiscated four copies of 'Isu Dalam Kartun' monthly magazine by cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar (left), under the PPPA 1984.

They did not inform her of the particular section that she was charged with nor did the police charge sheet specify it.

Hawee tried to challenge the officers by showing them the publication number but was given another reason that the magazine "might have made reference to someone".

She was stunned that the charge had been changed to section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 when she was called to give a witness' statement at the Segamat district police headquarters yesterday.

Merely obeying orders ma'am

"When I asked the officers about the change, they told me that they were merely following orders," said Hawee.

"Of course, I questioned them because I found it to be very strange."

Section 8(2) of the PPPA provides that "any person who prints, imports, produces, reproduces, publishes, sells, issues, circulates, offers for sale, distributes or has in his possession for such purpose any prohibited publication" could face a jail term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both.

A first-time offender charged under section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 is liable to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a maximum jail term of three years, or both. Subsequent offences carry a maximum jail sentence of five years.

The magazine featured a satirical comic entitled 'Sumpah di Bumi Komisyen', telling the story of a foreign model murdered through a bomb attack.

Paranoia rule of the day

Zunar's read is that the Home Ministry might have been upset with the comics due to the uncanny similarities shared by the lead character and deceased Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

"The comics did not mention her name but they (Home Ministry) may have interpreted it that way," he told Malaysiakini.

Zunar and Malaysiakini had filed two suits against the ministrychallenging the ban imposed on two books of political cartoons, claiming the move is illegal and an infringement of the right to free speech guaranteed by the federal constitution.

The ministry had earlier banned Malaysiakini's '1Funny Malaysia' and 'Perak Darul Kartun', published by Zunar's own company Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, on June 24.

The ministry's secretary-general Mahmood Adam said the two books were banned as they were "not suitable and detrimental to public order".