Political cartoonist Zunar is upset the police have damaged a collage which was seized along with 66 copies of a collection of cartoons titled ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’, five years' ago.

 

The items were returned to Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anuar Ul Haque, on Friday at the Salak Tinggi police station in Selangor.

 

They were confiscated on Sept 24, 2010 after the police raided his office and detained him for sedition.

 

Accompanied by lawyer, Michelle Yesudas, Zunar said he received the items from assistant superintendent Baloo Muniappan.

 

He express satisfaction over the condition of the ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’ books, but was disappointed and outraged by the condition of the collage.

 

“It’s unique, because the hair on the PM’s wife’s head is real hair, collected from barber shops and glued onto the image. The drawing had been folded causing the hair in the image to come unstuck. It’s badly damaged.

 

“I would like to make it clear this is an original piece of art and should have been treated with utmost care and respect.

“I hold the police responsible for the damage. I will not tolerate this and will instruct my lawyer to take the necessary legal action for mistreating it,” Zunar said in a statement today.

 

On July 2012, the Kuala Lumpur High Court, while declaring Zunar's arrest as lawful, had ordered the police to return the books and the drawing.

The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2013.