Political cartoonist Zunar will be charged with sedition on Friday over his tweet criticising the PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy conviction.

Zunar, or his full name Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, was the first to be arrested in the crackdown which followed Anwar’s conviction on Feb 10.

"The use of the Sedition Act came as no surprise to me as in a corrupt regime, the truth is seditious.

"The Najib regime is mentally-corrupt and morally-bankrupt," he said in a statement today.

I will be charged under Sedition Act on Friday 3 April 9am at KL High Court Jln Duta. It is over my tweet posting on Anwar Ibrahim ruling

— Zunar Cartoonist (@zunarkartunis) April 1, 2015

He said the notice served on him today states he will be charged under Section 4(1)c of the Sedition Act, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail, a RM5,000 fine, or both.

He had in a Feb 10 tweet likened judges to "lackeys in robes".

"The lackeys in black robes are proud of their sentence. The reward from political masters must be plenty," he tweeted then.

Org ini juga mengundang tind @PDRMsia . PCIRC sIla kesan dan siasat pic.twitter.com/PO1wAqDd4r

— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) February 10, 2015

Vendetta against cartoons

The police had also investigated his cartoon books 'Pirate of Carry BN' and 'Conspiracy to Imprison Anwar' while he was remanded for the Feb 10 tweet, Zunar said.

"I am sure this prosecution is a vendetta against cartoons," he said.

The launch of his latest book Ros in Kangkung Land featuring prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor right after his release from remand on Feb 14 was also foiled after police seized the books.

A sedition charge will not silence the internationally-recognised cartoonist.

"I will keep exposing the corruption and wrong-doings of the BN government.

"The fight through cartoons will carry on with more fire. I will keep drawing until the last drop of my ink," he said.