Cartoonist Zunar has filed a legal challenge against his travel ban that was imposed purportedly due to police orders.

Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ul-Haque, filed the judicial review application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

"I was invited to attend a forum at the National University of Singapore but I was informed by the immigration officers that I was on the blacklist.

"I was also informed that the reason was due to instructions from the inspector-general of police, but no further explanation was given," he told reporters after his papers were filed.

At the time, police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said that the police does not owe the public an explanation on why the travel ban was sought.

Zunar was informed of the travel ban while attempting to board a flight at the KL International Airport on Oct 17.

Lawyer Eric Paulsen, who represented Zunar, said that the application was filed against the Immigration Department, the Home Ministry and the police.

"On our part, we believe that Zunar's constitutional rights under Article 5 (right to life), Article 8 (right to equality) and Article 9 (right to movement) has been breached.

"The question now is whether Malaysia is a state based on law or does the authorities have the powers to act according to their own whims, arbitrarily and in our view beyond their jurisdiction," he said.

Paulsen added that he hoped the application would be heard soon so that Zunar's rights can be restored to him.

Several of Zunar's books, including collections of cartoons published on Malaysiakini, have been banned.