AOTM: Sedition Act by Zunar

Looking at Zunar’s “Sedition Act” in 2023 is like glimpsing a timestamp from a more helpless, hapless time in Malaysian politics. Created in 2015, the work of ink on paper harkens back to the throes of the Najib Razak administration, remembered for its excesses and clampdown on freedom of expression. Zunar, a renowned political artist, is in his element when speaking about the gnarly and nefarious side of Malaysian politics. In “Sedition Act,” he needs only a few images.

The term “Sedition Act” is splayed across the very round face of a man, the words taking the form of thread that sew the man’s lips tightly. To the right, hanging on to the large needle used to stitch the words is a recurring character in Zunar’s works from that era: Ketua Twitter Negara (KTN). From his uniform and signature “twit twit” tagline floating nearby, we know he’s a caricature of the then Inspector-General of Police. Khalid Abu Bakar was known for stating publicly that he was monitoring Twitter (hence “twit twit”) for seditious comments following Anwar Ibrahim’s imprisonment in 2015. KTN’s inclusion in the piece takes a swipe at public servants with the zeal to do work that is not only below their pay grade, but a few notes too servile to political leaders and their kin.

Speaking of kin, Najib Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor is also present in “Sedition Act”, by way of a diamond ring. The ring is a stand-in for a pink diamond ring that was purchased from New York’s Lorraine Schwartz as a gift to Rosmah, costing a cool USD23 million and one of many luxury items that make an appearance in the 1MDB saga. 

This piece might be looked at with humour today, but it was a brave act to release it during its time. Zunar is no stranger to the strong-arm tactics of power wielders. In 2015, he was slapped with nine charges under the Sedition Act, which were eventually dropped in 2018 after Barisan Nasional lost the 14th General Elections. During his career, Zunar has had his works banned, become subject to a travel ban and was the first Malaysian selected by Amnesty International for “Write for Rights,” their biggest annual international campaign.