Sanusi’s senior special assistant Nurul Amin Hamid accused Zunar of slandering his boss over the move to cancel this year’s Thaipusam holiday. He said it was unfair and uncalled for.

The caricature depicts a larger than life Sanusi with a butcher’s knife chopping a round table in the middle with people of various races. The words “Tiada cuti Thaipusam” is written on the side of the knife, accompanied by a blurb: “Kedahans lived peacefully before he (Sanusi) came”.

Nurul Amin said Zunar could have contacted the MB’s office to get clarification over the Thaipusam issue or taken note of the explanations given so far.

“Since Zunar has uploaded a ‘slanderous’ caricature, a police report has been made so that appropriate action can be taken,” the Kedah PAS youth chief said.

He also said the police report serves as a lesson to all that not all matters could be “wantonly politicised”.

Zunar, in response, said the MB’s aide was free to take any action he deems fit so long it does not prevent him from expressing his views freely.

He said while PAS Youth members are free to analyse and speculate about his caricatures, they cannot proclaim their views to be the law.

“I and others have the right to have our own views on this important issue.”

Last week, Sanusi announced there would be no public holiday declared for Thaipusam this year, given the movement control order.

This sparked a row among Indian political leaders from both sides of the divide, including rights groups who said it was an ignorant move which could affect the harmony between races enjoyed by the country all this while.