Zulkiflee, who is better known as Zunar, was detained in Penang under the Sedition Act for insulting Prime Minister Najib Razak.
He was brought to the George Town Magistrate’s Court this morning as police seek a remand order to further detain him.
According to his lawyer, Ramkarpal Singh, Zunar was arrested for breaching the peace under the Penal Code and the Sedition Act.
“We will be there to oppose the application, for various reasons we will reveal,” Ramkarpal was quoted as saying by the news portal.
He added that the police did not take any statement from the cartoonist despite having detained him at 6pm yesterday.
“We are not satisfied or happy with this. There was ample opportunity and time to do that today, to take the statement and do other things and avoid the necessity of getting a remand order,” Malaysiakini quoted the Bukit Gelugor MP as saying.
“This will be raised at the remand proceedings.”
Meanwhile, an attempt to have Zunar out on police bail was also denied last night.
This was related by another of his lawyers, Penang assemblyman RSN Rayer.
“He had surrendered himself and cooperated with the police to recover all the artworks.
“The arresting officer said he would consider it,” Rayer told reporters outside the police headquarters.
Zunar was arrested yesterday after Nibong Tebal Umno Youth Chief Mohd Norhiesam Ismail lodged a police report shortly after an incident when a mob disrupted Zunar’s exhibition at Komtar which was part of the George Town Literary Festival.
In his report, Norhiesam claimed that Zunar’s drawings had disturbed the peace of Malaysians at large.
He added it was unacceptable for Zunar to depict national leaders like Prime Minister Najib Razak in such a manner.
The exhibition was supposed to run until Sunday.
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