Political cartoonist Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque (Zunar) and former Padang Serai MP N Surendran were today acquitted of sedition charges. 

This after the Attorney-General's Chambers withdrew the charges against the duo. 

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Zaki Asyraf Zubir told the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur that the prosecution is no longer interested in continuing its case against Zunar. 

Similarly, DPP  Norinna Bahadun said the prosecution does not want to further pursue the case against Surendran.

Following this, Sessions judge Zamri Bakar allowed the withdrawal of the charges against the two.

On Apr 3, 2015, Zunar pleaded not guilty to nine charges of sedition for allegedly insulting the judiciary in tweets made in relation to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's conviction in the Sodomy II case.

Surendran claimed trial on Aug 19, 2014, to releasing an allegedly seditious press statement titled "Court of Appeal's Fitnah 2 written judgment is flawed, defensive and insupportable".

They were charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Zunar, who was elated with the withdrawal of the charges, expressed his hope that the Sedition Act will be abolished.

"We (he and Surendran) are happy that the charges against us were acquitted today but it means nothing if the Sedition Act is still there.

"The government must abolish this act for once. Until now, I haven't heard of any clear commitment from the Pakatan Harapan government to abolish this act," Zunar said.

Surendran said that the charges showed the display of tyranny by the then BN government, in particular, by "Najib (Abdul Razak) and his gang of tyrants".

"Nobody was spared during the tyranny that was practised by the Barisan Nasional government, not even Zunar as a political cartoonist.

"The charges against both of us should never have been brought and the fact that the BN government brought (the charges against him and Zunar) shows the depth and extent of their tyranny.

"It was an evil act and was meant to punish committed and dedicated activists like us who were asking for a change, simply because we criticised the government," he said.

Surendran added that the "dark episodes" must not be repeated in the new government.