SO BRAVE, LIOW? Zunar’s books banned, but available at Wisma MCA

KUALA LUMPUR - Some of the books by cartoonist Zunar have been banned while some are currently being investigated under the Sedition Act, but those interested in reading the books could obtain them for RM25 a piece on the second floor of Wisma MCA during a recent event.

The books, Ros in KangKong Land, Pirate of Carry BN and Conspiracy to Imprison Anwar, were banned and investigated for their controversial contents that poked fun of the controversies surrounding the ruling party, Barisan Nasional (BN), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Zunar’s “muse” Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

On Feb 14, 200 copies of Ros in KangKong Land were confiscated by police as they were being transported from the printers to a book launch.

Two weeks later, police raided a book launch by Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, threatening to detain him and confiscated his books.

However, The Rakyat Post, while covering the Asean People’s forum in Wisma MCA on Wednesday — where more than 1,400 participants from 10 Asean countries were present — found that right across the hall where a women’s forum was being held, stood a wooden table with stacks of Zunar’s books.

When asked on how the books came to be displayed and sold at the forum, the person handling the sale simply said that books are banned in public places, but not at private events.

In its first three days, the event was attended by Umno leader Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Datuk Paul Low, and MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker, among others,

Ti later told The Rakyat Post that the floors where the forums were held had been rented out and managed by private companies and, hence, what happened there was not to MCA leaders’ knowledge.

“I told them (the organisers) not to be used by politicians under the guise of NGOs whose agenda is to build up a confrontation between people and the government.

“There must be a balance between being people-centric and the government’s right to rule.

“In promoting people’s power, we must not lose sight of the government’s right to govern and protect peace, security and harmony.

“If there is political activism that is partisan to any political party, then the civil movement may be seen to be tainted or contaminated with a political agenda purely to bring down the government of the day under the disguise of a civil movement.”

Ti added that it was the organiser’s responsibility now to account for what happened as the party was firm in its stand that civil conventions should not be “hijacked” by politically partisan activities.

“This is very ungentlemanly and is in very bad taste.”

At the forum’s luncheon talk this afternoon, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali stood on the stage facing a crowd of more than 100 participants from Asean member countries and took a jab at the BN-led government which he said had put in place laws that ensured they had powers over the people instead giving power to the people. - Therakyatpost