Cartoonist Zunar was barred from leaving the country purportedly due to "police orders".

He was barred from boarding a 3pm flight to Singapore by Immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he said.

"I was told they have instructions from police to do so," said Zunar when contacted.

He visited Europe in June with no issue, he added.

"I have contacted my lawyer and will take legal action soon against the Immigration Department and the inspector-general of police.

"They have no right to bar me from travelling, even if I have cases pending in court," he said.

Malaysiakini has contacted the Immigration and police for response.

Zunar, the nom de plume of Zulkiflee Anwar Ul-Haque, has received international accolades for his political cartoons which often lampoon Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Several of his books, including collections of cartoons published on Malaysiakini, have been banned.

He also faces multiple charges for making seditious tweets on the sodomy conviction of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The travel ban against Zunar comes as the government lifted a similar ban against DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.

Pua was barred from leaving the country in July 2015 while his attempt at a judicial review to overturn the Immigration director-general's decision was rejected by the courts this July.

However, he found the ban unceremoniously lifted when his lawyer checked his immigration status, he said last Saturday.

Others barred from leaving the country, ostensibly because they will smear Malaysia's image abroad, include Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah.

Maria's judicial review application to challenge the travel ban is pending in court.

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