The cartoonist popularly known as Zunar was invited to showcase his work in the Cartoon for Peace exhibition at the Maison du Design de Presse in Morges, Switzerland.
The exhibition featuring Zunar and Kenyan cartoonist Gado opens today and runs until April 2.
Zunar will be missing the entire exhibition as he has been barred from leaving the country, a ruling that took effect in June last year.
“In my whole career, this show was supposed to be my best exhibition because it would be the first time my work was displayed in a museum,” he told FMT, referring to the 30 digital artworks that will be on display.
“Normally, the artist will be around at his exhibition to meet people and explain his work. I am missing that chance.
“Gado also got himself in trouble for his cartoons but the Kenyan government didn’t bar him from travelling. Malaysia is more ‘advanced’ in this area,” he said.
Zunar and Gado are laureates of the Cartooning for Peace – City of Geneva 2016 prize, which they received from former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan on World Press Freedom Day last year.
“What can I do? I just have to deal with it. I have to stay positive and keep fighting for what is right.
“I don’t think I have done anything wrong in my role as a political cartoonist,” Zunar said.
He is challenging the travel ban imposed by the police in court. The next court mention is fixed for next month.
Zunar said his lawyer had written to the Immigration Department seeking permission for him to travel to Switzerland, but had not received a reply.
“It is a problem (not being able to travel). I have many invitations overseas.”
Zunar has been in and out of trouble with the law over his satirical political cartoons that mock the federal government, its leaders and law enforcement agencies.
Just last month, he was arrested at a fundraiser in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly carrying out “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” and 1,300 copies of his books were seized.
He is also facing nine sedition charges for insulting the judiciary in tweets regarding former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy conviction in February 2015.
He is at risk of facing a 10th sedition charge following his arrest last November in Penang, when he exhibited his work at the annual George Town Literary Festival. Zunar was detained for a day by police, who began investigations on him for sedition and breach of peace after a local Umno Youth division leader filed a police report accusing the cartoonist of “disturbing the peace of Malaysians” through his cartoons.
Still on police bail, Zunar is due to report himself to the Penang police on Jan 29.