The Malaysian Insight

GRAPHIC artist Fahmi Reza will apply to have his charge of posting a clown caricature of Najib Razak online withdrawn ahead of his trial scheduled tomorrow.

His lawyer, Syahredzan Johan, said he would apply to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the charge to be dropped on grounds that it was politically motivated and that the laws used violated Fahmi’s right to freedom of expression.

Fahmi’s trial is scheduled to be heard for three days at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court from tomorrow.

He faces a charge under the Communications and Multimedia Act of uploading offensive content with the intention to annoy, with his post of a caricature of former prime minister Najib, on his Instagram account on January 31, 2016.

In February this year, Fahmi was convicted and sentenced to a month’s jail and RM30,000 fine by the Ipoh sessions court for a similar offence on his Facebook account.

The sentence is stayed pending his appeal in the high court.

Syahredzan said the application for a withdrawal of the charge was in line with the Pakatan Harapan government’s pledge to review all politically motivated charges filed under Najib’s administration.

“It is time for the attorney-general to discontinue cases that involve the Sedition Act, the Communications and Multimedia Act, and other laws that suppress individual freedoms,” the lawyer told Malaysia Decides.

After Fahmi was sentenced by the Ipoh court, he was able to raise enough donations from the public to cover the fine.

Political cartoonist Zunar, meanwhile, said he supported Fahmi’s move to have his charge withdrawn.

“The charge goes against the right to freedom of expression, which is enshrined in our federal constitution,” said Zunar, whose full name is Zulkiflee Anwar Haque.

Zunar faces several charges under the Sedition Act for his satirical cartoons against the previous Barisan Nasional government.

A travel ban imposed on him was lifted after BN lost federal power in the May 9 general election. – May 27, 2018.