A controversial artist arrested over a satirical monkey drawing

A provocative satirical caricature of an ape portraying Mojo Jojo from the iconic Power Puff Girls cartoon character was trending on Twitter this morning.

The cartoon’s creator, graphic designer and activist Fahmi Reza, was detained by authorities on suspicion of sedition for the satirical depiction of an ape.

The monkey cartoon was created when the Sultan of Selangor purchased a sketch of the Malaysian Parliament and posted it on his Twitter account.

Apes and frogs sit in the chairs in the Parliament painting, with a human speaker presiding.

The Sultan’s acquisition of the picture drew mixed reactions from the public, with many questioning if it was a wise idea to ‘support’ the depiction of MPs as apes and frogs.

Knowing that he will be arrested today, the cartoonist posted an entry on Twitter that showed his state of mind.

It says, “On the way to the station to be questioned by the Bukit Aman police. If I don’t update before 8pm, it means I’ll sleep locked up tonight. #SatireIsNotACrime #AktaSakitHati

As usual, remember we have the right to refuse to answer police questions when asked give the following answers:

Dalam perjalanan ke balai untuk disoalsoasat polis Bukit Aman. Kalau aku tak update sebelum jam 8pm maknanya aku akan tidur lokap malam ni. #SatireIsNotACrime #AktaSakitHati

Macam biasa, ingat kita ada hak utk menolak dari menjawab soalan polis, bila disoal beri jawapan berikut: pic.twitter.com/Pn5wm5RSY8

— Fahmi Reza (@kuasasiswa) April 14, 2022

In the picture below his post, he said, “I exercise my right under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code to refuse to answer the police master’s question as my answer may expose me to criminal charges.”

Fahmi was detained at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters at 4:20 pm according to his lawyer Rajsurian Pillai (IPD) who spoke to the local media here.

“The police confiscated a mobile phone and SIM card for investigation purposes. They will be applying for a remand order tomorrow,” he reportedly said.

Fahmi was being investigated by the authorities under both the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Fahmi tweeted earlier yesterday that he had been called by the police for a satirical cartoon he posted on social media the day before.

The illustration depicted an ape with royal headdress and yellow clothing similar to those used by royalty.

In February, Fahmi requested a trial for allegedly insulting PAS and former health minister Dr Adham Baba.

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