ZUNAR receives International Press Freedom Awards

I am delighted to receives the “International Press Freedom Award 2015” from Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York this evening (24th November 2015). Legendary cartoonist, Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury) presented the prestigious award to me at the gala dinner at The Waldorf Astoria. The other recipients are from Syria, Paraguay and Ethiopia.

I would like to dedicate this award to all my supporters, fans, and Malaysians as well as oversea supporters who have stood behind me continuously. (See below for my speech the event)

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Zunar menerima “Anugerah Kebebasan Akhbar Antarabangsa”

Saya berbangga menerima “Anugerah Kebebasan Akhbar Antarabangsa 2015” dari Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) di New York petang tadi (24 Nov 2015). Kartunis lagenda, Garry Trudeau menyampaikan award berprestij tersebut kepada saya di The Waldorf Astoria.

Saya ingin mendedikasikan anugerah ini kepada semua peminat, penyokong dan rakyat Malaysia serta warga dunia yang sentiada berdiri teguh di menyokong saya sepanjang masa.

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Zunar’s speech

Thank you very much for this award. I’m so happy to be here tonight to accept this and not in a jail somewhere in Malaysia. I would like to dedicate this award to the Malaysians who have equally pushed for reform. It is both my responsibility and my right as a citizen to expose corruption, wrongdoing and injustices. Laws like the Sedition Act mean that drawing cartoons is a crime.

The government of Malaysia is a cartoon government; a government of the cartoon, by the cartoon, for the cartoon – sorry Abraham Lincoln. For asking people to laugh at the government, I was handcuffed, detained, thrown into the lock up. But I kept laughing and encouraging people to laugh with me. Why? Because laughter is the best form of protest.

My mission is to fight through cartoon. Why pinch when you can punch? People need to know the truth and I will continue to fight through my cartoons. I want to give a clear message to the aggressors — they can ban my cartoons, they can ban my books, but they cannot ban my mind. I will keep drawing until the last drop of my ink.

Thank you Zunar
Political Cartoonist 24 Nov 2015