Political cartoonist and satirist Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque filed a lawsuit against the government this morning over his arrest last year.

NONE He named arresting officer Arikrishna Apparau, investigating officer Marina Hashim, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar, the Home Ministry and the government as defendants.

Zulkiflee ( right ), popularly known as Zunar, was arrested on Sept 24 last year, just hours before the launch of his latest book 'Cartoon-O-Phobia.

Police raided his office, Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, in Brickfields and seized 66 copies of the book.

Following the incident, two printing presses in Puchong were raided by the police as well as publisher Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd.

Calling the arrest “unlawful”, his lawyer Latheefa Koya later told reporters that when the police first came to Zunar's office, they had told him that he would be arrested under the Sedition Act.

"But when we asked why they had to take 66 copies of the book, they changed their stance and said that Zunar was being investigated under the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

"They failed to pinpoint to us which part of the book contained elements that are seditious."

NONE Fellow lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri (left) said that the arrest was malicious.

"If it was sedition, the police would just take one copy instead of 66. It shows how the Sedition Act has been used wantonly by the authorities to curtail a person's (civil) liberties," she said.

Zunar noted that Cartoon-O-Phobia has not been banned to date by the Home Ministry, although the distribution of three earlier publications had been prohibited.

"Because of the arrest, not one shop has dared to sell my book and this has affected my livelihood," he said.

The lawyers are filing for unspecified general, exemplary and aggravated damages.

They further want the 66 copies of the book to be returned, in lieu of which special damages of RM1,650 would be claimed to cover the retail price.

Also being sought is the return of an A2-size original drawing depicting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, which the police had seized.

In the dramatic arrest, five police officers took Zunar into custody the same day he was supposed to launch the publication at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

zunar arrested under sedition act 240910 01 He was taken to six police stations before being detained overnight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport police station lock-up, more than 60km away from where he was arrested.

In spite of his arrest, the book launch went on as planned with guest-of-honour Mohammed Nizar Jamaluddin, the former Perak menteri besar, making an appearance.

Zunar was released the next day.