PENANG, MALAYSIA — A Malaysian political cartoonist known for poking fun at the country’s scandal-hit prime minister has once again been arrested for sedition. <br /> <br />Artist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, 54, goes by the pen name Zunar. His work frequently mocks Prime Minister Najib Razak. <br /> <br />U.S. officials allege that an unnamed “Malaysian Official 1,” widely believed to be Najib, stole millions of dollars from the country’s 1MDB development fund. <br /> <br />An angry mob of Najib supporters attacked an exhibition of Zunar’s cartoons in Penang last week, the New Straits Times reported. <br /> <br />The mob damaged Zunar’s art and forced the exhibition to shut down. So it seems like Zunar’s cartoons have really hit a nerve with someone. <br /> <br />Zunar was arrested for sedition. He already has nine similar charges that are yet to go to trial, all related to his drawings. <br /> <br />Amnesty International said the arrest of Zunar was “an outrage.” The human rights non-profit said Malaysia was using repressive laws “to silence and punish peaceful voices under the guise of national security.” <br /> <br />Malaysia has arrested scores of government critics in recent years as Najib desperately holds onto power at the expense of free speech.
