The Federal Court today upheld the decision to overturn the ban on cartoonist Zunar's books '1Funny Malaysia' and 'Perak Darul Kartun'.

It also upheld the Court of Appeal's instructions for the Home Ministry to return the 33 copies of cartoonist Zunar's books '1Funny Malaysia' and 'Perak Darul Kartun' seized in 2010.

The verdict was made by five member panel led by Justice Md Raus Sharif.

The Home Ministry banned the cartoon books on May 10, 2010 under Section 7 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, for threatening public order.

The books were published by Malaysiakini and Zunar's company Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd.

The publishers are represented by lawyers Edmund Bon Tai Soon, Amer Hamzah Arshad, Edward Saw, K Shanmuga, Aston Paiva dan Fahri Azzat.

The publishers challenged the ban in July 2010, but lost their case at the High Court.

The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision.

Cartoonists aren't criminals

Zunar said this is a " victory for cartoonists ".

"The verdict is a reminder to the Home Ministry and the government that drawing cartoons is not a crime," he said when contacted.

In January, police seized 155 copies of Zunar’s books ‘Pirates of the Carry BN’, ‘Conspiracy to Imprison Anwar’ and its Bahasa Malaysia version ‘Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar’.

The next month, police seized 100 copies of another book, ‘Ros in Kangkung Land’ ahead of its launch in Petaling Jaya.

Zunar also faces nine charges of sedition , over a series of tweets on the guilty verdict against PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in the sodomy case last year.H

He is challenging the sedition charges.

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