International award-winning local cartoonist Zunar has filed a legal action today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur against the inspector-general of police and the government for false arrest, breach of statutory duty, negligence, and trespass to goods.

This is over the authorities’ seizure of over 1,000 cartoon books and 100 T-shirts which Zunar had been selling during a "Tea with Zunar" event held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Dec 17 last year.

Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ul-Haque, also named the investigating officer DSP M Gunalan and 17 policemen in the suit filed this morning by the firm of Daim and Gamany.

His lawyer N Surendran told reporters that besides damages, Zunar is also seeking a declaration that his right to freedom of expression had been violated by the defendants.

In his statement of claim, Zunar alleged that before his event began, the police arrived and arrested his assistant who was selling the books and T-shirts.

He is seeking special damages totalling RM22,388 for the seizure of 103 T-shirts, and 1,089 cartoon books comprising nine titles from the private event.

The books were seized although none of the nine book titles had been banned from sale to the public by the authorities.

Attempt to cause trouble

The books that were seized were "Wasabi Wa Sapu Billion", "Sapuman of Steel", "Ros in Kangkong Land", "Pirates of the Carrry-BN", "Isu dalam kartun alternatif reformasi sarkastik", "The conspiracy to convict Anwar Najib Convicts Judges Follow", "Showcase kumpulan kartunis independen", "Hikayat Pak Monggol dan Scorpene" and "Hikayat lembu-lembu kondo".

Zunar, in his suit, claimed that the defendants action is discriminatory, to cause trouble and is against the Police Act 1964 and the Federal Constitution and meant to tarnish his reputation. Hence he is claiming aggravated and exemplary damages.

He is seeking damages for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, trespass of goods, negligence, breach of statutory duty, aggravated and exemplary damages besides the RM22,388.00 in special damages.

Surendran said this was a private event and did not require police permit and hence, it was wrong for the police to arrest and seize the items which were not banned.

He added that police were then investigating the case under Section 124C of the Penal Code for activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy but you have to ask the police as to its investigations.

"That is why we are taking the legal action. If there are other similar actions against Zunar like these, the lawyer would not hesitate in taking action," he said.

Another suit

Zunar said that he was arrested twice in 2015 and against in Penang last November.

"I will also file a suit in Penang following the action to seize my artworks," he said.

Zunar said that during the Penang event, it was the Umno Youth who disrupted the event and that violence seen during the Nothing to Hide 2.0 event would recur unless police do something against political violence.

The political cartoonist was awarded the Cartooning for Peace Award in Geneva in May last year, and he has also received the Human Rights Watch Hellman/Hammett Award and the International Press Freedom Award, the latter given by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).