KUALA LUMPUR: Cartoonist Zunar was granted leave by the High Court here today to initiate proceeding for a judicial review on the Home Minister’s order in banning, as well as sale and publication his book, ‘Sapuman: Man of Steal’.
Judge Datin Azizah Nawawi allowed the application by Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwarul Haque, in chambers in the presence of his lawyer N. Surendran and senior federal counsel Mazlifah Ayob, who acted on behalf of the Home Minister and the government, as respondents.
Surendran, when met by reporters, said the court allowed the application as there was no objection by the senior federal counsel.
The court set Feb 27 for case management, he said.
Zunar filed the application last Jan 2 seeking, among others, to revoke the Home Minister’s order, dated Oct 3, 2017 on the book ban, and a declaration that the order was unconstitutional and ultra virus under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
In the supporting affidavit, Zunar said he had unveiled his new book, which was on current political issues in Malaysia, at the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Sept 13, 2015.
He claimed that the Home Minister, through the Federal Government Gazette, issued an order under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 prohibiting the .publication, import, production, publication, sale, distribution and possession of the book in the country. – Bernama