June 29, 2012
Cartooning in Malaysia: A Tragicomedy
Instead of perfectionist for the restoration of their right to leisure of expression, these professionals have been allowing themselves to be used as the promotion apparatus by Najib.
The latest group of professionals to fall chase to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's appeal offensive have been the cartoonists. If this suspicion is not depressing enough, UMNO appears to have politicised everything from hawkers to households, as well as car tyres to cartoons.
The eventuality 'You, PM as well as Cartoons: Cartoon as well as Animation Exhibition 2012' had been billed as the largest gathering of cartoonists as well as animators, though celebrated by his deficiency was Malaysia's greatest as well as many well-known political cartoonist, Zunar (above).
In the past couple of months, Najib has preyed upon FELDA settlers, petty traders as well as taxi drivers. He has rained goodies upon them, since them cash handouts as well as done promises, which he substantially does not intend to keep.
Last weekend, the Central Market played host to cartoonists as well as existence artists in the cartoon as well as existence exhibition. It was the joint effort by the Konsortium Cartoonist during Work (CAW) as well as Kelab Putera 1Malaysia (KP1M). Posters as well as banners for the eventuality included the '1Malaysia' logo.
UMNO Youth Exco, Sohaimi Shahadan as well as President Kelab Putera
1Malaysia, Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (of the Somalia Fiasco) have been believed to be the dual main people at the back of the scenes.
Sohaimi is alleged to have instigated the cow-head liaison in front of the Selangor State secretariat, he was at the back of the nuisance of Ambiga after BERSIH 3.0 as well as he is also implicated in the IMPad scandal.
Observers have asked since the cartoonists have been allowing themselves to be used as the promotion apparatus by Najib. They crop up to be seduced by awards, inclusion in the Malaysia Book of Records as well as offers of cash, when they should instead, direct which their rights as well as leisure of countenance have been restored.
Abdul Azeez claimed which the eventuality was to admit the work of cartoon as well as existence artists. "Not many people realise which cartoonists as well as animators fool around the really vicious purpose in the entertainment you suffer every day."
Awards as well as Prize Money
It was reported which the eventuality had scored the miracle in the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest gathering of cartoonists as well as animators. This was doubtful by assorted people who allege which of the 356 supposed cartoonists, usually 50 were tangible cartoonists whereas the rest were those who had just signed up to participate in the event.
Najib praised the work of cartoonists as well as presented awards as well as esteem income to them, since they 'helped strengthen racial unity', though he pronounced which "provocative as well as inciteful work, which could lead to disunity as well as discord contingency be avoided".
Around RM300,000 had been allocated around KP1M, for the formation of Yayasan Kartunis 1Malaysia; howeve! r, the s um of this organisation have been unspecified.
He said, "Cartoonists as well as animators have an vicious purpose in growth as well as progress. Humour in the jokes contingency insert messages upon solidarity, cooperation, tolerance as well as togetherness to defend the 1Malaysia philosophy," as well as he urged them to "translate as well as communicate all supervision policies in the light as well as relaxed approach simply accepted by society".
Najib has taken the rare step of banning the make use of of caricatures in 
the forthcoming GE-13. Zunar's depiction of corruption, excesses by the self-styled "First Lady" Rosmah Mansor, the attempted murder of Mongolian indication Altantuya, the Scorpene liaison as well as the crime of the judiciary, make stimulating reading.
Sources tighten to Zunar said: "He refuses to be the partial of this programme since it is the political programme, not the cartooning programme. He feels which cartoonists have been being used by political leaders for their own agendas.
"The muster is not organized by the Cartoonist Association, though an organisation headed by dual UMNO leaders Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Kelab Putra UMNO) as well as Suhaimi Shadan (UMNO Youth's Economic Bureau Chief)."
Beholden to UMNO
When contacted, Zunar reliable which he objects to being done the promotion apparatus as well as has deserted the endowment as well as esteem money. Zunar, whose cartoons have courted controversy, says "Lift the anathema upon my books, drop the charges opposite me, stop the threats opposite my vendors as well as printers. If you present me with an endowment as well as esteem income of RM10,000 though still make the anathema upon leisure of! express ion, afterwards what is the point of the award?"
He criticised the preference procession whereby politicians decide who receives the awards. He pronounced which it would have been some-more appropriate to have the preference committee of lecturers in the cartooning field, alternative cartoonists as well as writers in the creative world.
Awards were since to 10 alternative cartoonists as well as animators including Mior Sariman Mior Hassan for the Revolutionary Cartoons category, Jaafar Taib (Cartoonist with dedication); Hassan Abd Muthalib (Father of Malaysian Animations); Lim Kok Wing (for Innovative Artwork) as well as Reggie Lee (Community Cartoonist-above).
Zunar claimed which with the endowment as well as esteem income as sweeteners, cartoonists have been gratified to UMNO as well as will give up from criticising the government: "Why do the cartoonists not direct their rights as well as the leisure of expression?
"Does this meant which by binding the cartoonists' hands as well as feet with law as well as rules, he can gain await from the cartoonists? Cartoons should be speedy to flourish so they can evolve as well as thrive with leisure to create. It contingency not to be used to await supervision policies".
Zunar pronounced which the Prime Minister should sense to accept humour as positive critique of his policies as well as work. He described '1Malaysia as the pitch of crime as well as pronounced which Najib has incarcerated cartoonists who have been critical, criminialized their books as well as restricted their freedom, regulating acts such as the Printing Presses as well as Publications Act as well as the Sedition Act.
Zunar said: "My endowment would have been Kartunis Berminda Kritis The Critical Cartoonist. we disagree, since everybody should sense to be critical. Are they perpl! exing to contend which others do not know how to be critical? Why can't the authorities admit the content of my cartoons?"
He condemns the approach UMNO believes which the trophy, esteem money, the photograph with Najib as well as the inventory in the Malaysia Book of Records, have been sufficient to placate Malaysians. Zunar said: "What is some-more fitting than an endowment is to give cartoonists their rights as well as revive the leisure to be creative."
Mariam Mokhtar is the FMT contributor
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